Hybrid
by wolfshalom
Summary: When Khan bought a new slave, he never expected the following: him racing against time to save his family, a cyber war against Star Fleet, and getting assigned to the USS Enterprise as a civilian consultant as per the tiny print in the terms of his parole, and falling in love. What? Slowly, he finds himself growing rather fond of his new pet...and she to him. Rated M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Once again I have created my own character and injected them into the Star Trek Universe. I regret nothing. Chapters will be labeled individually for triggers/warnings (I haven't thought too far ahead for this story).**

 **One trigger will be a theme—** _ **SLAVERY**_ **. If that bothers you, you may want to find another story to peruse. Sorry :(**

 **Chapter 1**

We race through the trees and then cower in the tall underbrush.

"I WANT THEM DEAD!" He screams. "KILL THEM ALL!"

"I'm scared, Meira." My sister, Roni, whispers and I hug her close to me.

"Shhh," I breath. "Stay quiet." My voice no louder than a whisper.

"I want to go home," She continues and I hug her still tighter.

 _Be quiet! Please! If you keep talking, they'll find us!_ I think furiously. Call it the universe, call it God, or fate, but she stayed silent even as they combed through the grass with their long barreled phasers. Even while they screamed their hatred and their boots stomped all around us.

She stayed silent. Small tears burned down her cheeks and soaked the front of my shirt and I can feel her trembling with fear, but I dared not reassure her lest they hear and come running. Hours grew into eternities and the sun gave way to run. Loud, booming thunder screamed at us vengefully and the sky attacked us with bullet-like rain and hail. But, despite all this, we made no sound. Our pursuers, weary and disheartened, gave up the chase. We watched as they trudged away through the mist and vanished among the trees.

I waited and hour. An then two. When all seemed safe, we ventured from our hiding place. We had made it another day.

 **…**

"I'm cold," she complains as I carry her towards are tiny, concealed forest home.

"Oh, shut up." I smirk to let her know that I'm joking, "When I want your opinion, I'll give it to you. What's de matter with yous?" I say the last part in an Italian accent and she giggles

"Here," I set her down and she looks up at me. "You go on home, and I'll try to catch our dinner." And by "catch" I meant steal: a capital crime. I continue: "Does that sound good, kiddo? Some nice, warm bread? Some fruit? Hm? How does that sound?"

"Alright." She agrees and then starts to skip away.

I watch her with my light grey eyes until she disappears from sight and then I wait a moment longer, listening, just in case.

Then, then I'm stalking through the forest and running its forbidden trails. I race soundlessly past the dark, thorny vines and the hidden eyes that I know are watching.

And then, I'm there. It would have been better if I had never bothered to leave my home. But I did.

I did.

And then it all fell apart. And it was all my fault.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It had started with an accident.

A horrible, tragic accident.

Our pursuers, oh, they had been smart; so much smarter than I. They need not lie in wait out in the elements. No, all they had to do was set a trap and wait for their prey—me—to go to them. And then, then it would all be over. See, food was a scarce resource and, sooner or later, I would find myself wandering to market to steal something in order to keep myself alive.

They had blended into the crowd and downed normal clothing: faded shirts, ripped jeans, worn shoes—the clothing of the poor, the destitute, the needy.

The trap had been set, and I blundered right into it.

I emerged from the forest and hid in the shadows. Icy rain bit at my exposed face and hands and I shivered into the shadows, hugging close to the walls in order to hide from the rain and the people.

Eyeing the baker's goods I slipped forward carefully. I didn't see the man in black watching me from the other end of the alley nor did I see his small knowing smirk as he proceeded to watch the nightmare unfold. Drawing up alongside the cart, I slowed. A moment later, three rolls disappeared from among the bread and made an appearance in my pocket. Next, I snagged four apples, and then a small wheel of cheese.

And nobody even noticed! The great bandit, once again, is victorious!

Or…so I had thought.

The shadows were then alive with the glowing phasers. Rubble cracked violently from the walls of the buildings all around me and dozens hit the ground, dead. The voices of panicked people, young and old alike, screamed terror as they raced in all directions only to get mowed down.

A small voice in my head screamed for me to freeze but a still louder one roared for me to run. My feet moved without my consent and soon red and green lights were blurring past. I ran like a jackrabbit after downing three energy drinks in rapid succession, but not even that was fast enough.

BAM!

A blast hits me square in the chest and throws me painfully back against a wall. My legs fly out in front of me and my back cracks, hard, into the stone wall behind me, keeping me in a sitting position. Slowly, my eyes slip close and my ears rang loudly. The darkness slowly wrapped around me to gently pull me into oblivion.

A foot prods my side and my eyes crack open ever so slightly.

"Did you really think you could get away, rat?" A smiling face says down at me. "You people never learn do you?"

I blink slowly as my mind tries to figure out who he is. He is an enemy, yes, but which one?

Which…one…?

"I'm going to enjoy watching them break you." My eyes close and he fists my hair painfully. "Nightie, night, freak."

And then I'm gone. Falling, falling, falling.

The man in black slinks from the shadows.

 **…**

"And where they be taken?" He asks as he prods the lifeless body of the woman who had been thrown into the wall.

"Oh, them?" The man looks at the others lazily and shrugs. "To the auction house, to be sold."

"And this on." He looks down at her and frowns.

"Same, but whoever gets her should keep their guard up: she's a wild a one and will kill first chance she gets. She has no attachments and will stop at nothing to escape."

"Hm." Khan nods slowly.

She was…intriguing to say the least.

He needed a new worker anyway to work the fields. Besides, it was time his security systems were checked. Who better to test them than an escaping slave with nothing to lose…? Yes. She will be his. He will dissect her mind and learn what he can. At the very least, she'll help him pull in a good harvest. Besides, if she got too irritating or started to bore him, he could always make her into plant compost…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

By the time the auction started, Khan wasn't sure if he really wanted another slave on the grounds. Did he really need another mouth to feed? Or make sure she didn't escape? It would probably prove to be such a tedious task…and she may even harm his loyal workers, which were _so hard_ to come by these days…

But she had changed his mind. All the other humans to-be-sold were cowering behind one another and whispering frantically or sobbing, but not the one he had desired. No, she wasn't like those mewling animals. She alone stood proud and tall, a regal queen among peasants, and glared into the crowd as if daring them to even _consider_ buying her.

One by one, Khan watched eagerly as the others were dragged from the stage and they wailed out their terror and indignation as their new masters took them away. Now (finally! Had he had to wait much longer her would have gladly killed them all!), the auctioneer tells the audience of her history as she's dragged up front and center.

She had escaped four previous owners, killing two _(there was no risk of that at his property. Let her try!)_. She had caused severe damage to property including destroying vehicles and burning buildings and crops _(this could prove to be a problem)_. She had engaged in multiple fights causing other slaves (and even paid workers) fatal injuries.

Nowhere she went was spared destruction.

 _Hm…_

Where she went, pain, and rage, and brimstone followed closely at her heels. Any who had stood up to make a bid quickly sat back down, leaving Khan completely uncontested. And then she looked him straight in the eye, her steel eyes stabbing into his icy blue ones, and held his cool stare without flinching away—a feat yet to be accomplished by most. Rage came off of her like smoke from a wildfire as she refused to break his gaze.

 _Buy me,_ her glare seemed to growl, _and I'll make your life a living hell. I will never give up and I will not lose. I will not be your slave and I will_ not _be broken._

Oh, yes. Intriguing she _certainly_ was.

Khan raised his powerful hand to signal his desire for her and then the gravel cracked down, shattering the oppressive silence the room.

"SOLD!" The auctioneer booms. "She's all yours. May God have mercy on you, young man." The auctioneer says before going on to the next one. "And what about this one…a good strong worker…"

 **…**

They drugged her before loading her up in the trunk of Khan's vehicle. He looks down at her slumbering face. She looks calm. Peaceful. Her long brown hair frames her tan face and her slender arms are crossed over her chest in order to not crush her fingers then the trunk slams closed. Khan frowns. With the dosage they had given her, she shouldn't even wake up until morning. Why put her back here, where she might suffocate?

It wasn't that he was sentimental; he just didn't see the point in breaking his new toy before he had time to play with it first. Carefully, he picks her up and settles her in the front passenger seat and then slips her seatbelt on around her before hopping lightly into the driver's seat.

The drive was uneventful. Where was the demon they had warned him about? The one who had spilled enough blood to fill an ocean and created enough fires for light up hell? This was boring! It was asleep and leaning heavily into his side, its head resting comfortably near his shoulder.

He sighs ruefully. _No matter,_ he thinks. _Tomorrow. Tomorrow it will be awake and then—then things will get interesting! Finally! A challenge!_

 **…**

He drops her on a pile of hay in an empty stall in the barn and then locks the door to the stall. She could kick and punch the walls and stall door all she wanted—she wouldn't be released until he alone allowed it. Let her rage and scream, let her fight. It would do her no good.

Eventually, she would weaken and, like all humans before her, would cower away and learn her place: below Augments. This is the one arena in which she would be ineligible to be a contester for Khan knew that she was destined to lose.

 _Oh, well. It'll be fun while it lasts._ Then he'll move onto something different.

He had already been cleared of most of his charges from his trial following his capture, and subsequently, been released. So long as he behaved himself, Star Fleet agreed to leave him alone. He could have slaves and a plantation to grow and sell as he pleased. To could move freely from place to place and do whatever he wanted so long as the mass executions were at a minimum. Now that the Enterprise had embarked on its five year journey, taking with it his hated enemies, Spock and Captain Kirk, he had nothing to occupy his time.

Sure, he had his crew to worry about. Somewhere out there, far from his reach, they were still vulnerable and trapped in their frozen slumber. He would find Marcus and crush him for what he's done…but…for now...

Khan spares the woman another glance.

For now, he had other matter to attend to. If she was truly as dangerous as they claimed, she could prove to be a valuable ally. But first things first. You don't take a mustang from the wild and then ride it in the derby. No, first it must be tamed and broken to its masters will. It must learn its place and learn to follow orders. Otherwise, its spirit, its fire, a waste.

"Sleep," He commands. "You will need your rest for tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

**My chapters have been a little on the short side, so, I decided to make this one a little longer.**

 **WARNING: there's some violence in a segment that is completely italicized. No guts, no gore—just blood.**

 **Please review! :)**

 **Chapter 4**

Her foot cracks against the door and her hands wrap around the bars of the window. Khan watches dispassionately as she struggles. After she wears herself out, he'll have her released and then monitor her relations with the other slaves. Should she prove to be too dangerous, he will have her put back in the stall, no food or water.

The only problem with this is that she doesn't 'wear out'. Instead she continues to fight and struggle well into the night. _Well, he had to give it her, too. She certainly had spirit._

"Done yet?" He says tiredly as he stands in the barns entrance. A firm kick makes the door rattle. _This was NOT going as planned. Ugh, the entire process won't be this tedious, will it?_

…

By noon of the next day, she is leaning wearily against the wall of her make shift cell.

"Are you ready to be civilized now?" Khan purrs but, much to his chagrin, she refuses to grace him with a response. Instead, she turns her head away from him and glares at the wall. "Really?" He glowers, "Stooping to childish games? Be more original."

She sticks her tongue out at him and narrows her eyes.

"You can come out now." He eases the door open and she watched him with suspicious eyes. "Misbehave and you will be back in time out."

With that he turns on his heel and leaves. It would be better for her to wander around and get her own bearings. This way, he could watch her at a distance, hidden from sight, and step in to intervene if needed.

But she behaves herself. She looks at the other slaves and awknowledges them warily but doesn't engage. She drifts down near the crops and then runs the length of the fence, checking for weak spots, but she quickly begins to wobble weakly to the side from exhaustion. The side effects of the drugs must not have worn off yet.

Oh, well.

…

"What's your name?" A strange woman approaches and I jump back in surprise. _Who was she? Where am I? Where is my sister? My God! Is she here too? Did that monster have her locked up somewhere? Where was she? WHERE WAS SHE?_

 _I run back to the barn and wildly search then stalls. Then back outside._

 _The fields! Was she hidden among the crops? No._

 _What about the chicken coop? No. The pig pen? No._

 _The goat pasture? NO! Again, NO! Where was she?! I had to find her! If he hurt her, I'll kill him! I'll kill them all! How dare they take me here? What did I even do wrong anyway? Steal food to survive? Did that really warrant kidnapping? Really?!_

 _I need to get out of here! I need to find Adva!_

"It's alright. Calm down, little one."

 _Calm down? Are you kidding? Do you know what's happening? I'm not like you! I AM NOT A SLAVE! I AM NOT CATTLE!_

I try to run past her to continue my search but she steps in front of me with her arms up as though afraid I may attack her. My frenzied mind races wildly and again I try to rush around her, but she stops me.

"Calm. It is alright. You're safe now."

 _Safe? In a place built on the blood of those deemed inferior? Safe? On a harm with crops fertilized with our bones? No one is safe here, least of all the one you call 'master', lady!_

"Look at me." Her shaking finger taps my chin and I spare her a glance. "Don't make me beat you, young 'un! I may be old but I'll am just as strong as I once was!" I freeze and look her in the eye. "Good, now, dial it back a notch, okay?"

She pats my shoulder and smiles. Inwardly, I try not to cringe away from her—I had never been one for physical contact.

"So, your name?" She asks and I shrug. "Ah, not much of a talker, huh? Well, that's alright. Let's get you some food, huh? And some water? Does that sound good?"

I sigh and nod.

Sure, why not? What do I have to lose? I'll stick around for a little while and then hit the ground running. I'll get my strength back and go home.

"Good," she grabs me lightly by the arm and leads me away. "Careful now. Watch your step."

I spend the rest of the day shadowing her. We pick fruit from the orchards and fill up huge buckets with warped apples and then move on to pick misshapen strawberries and then slop the starving, diseased animals. This was not impressive.

"And here we are. This is where I leave you." She walks away and leaves me at a large white bricked building filled down both sides with bunk beds.

Black mold covers the walls and the thin blankets covering the beds are little more than rags. The roof is filled with large, gaping holes and the floor is comprised of loose, sandy dirt. Fleas jump from bed to bed and a snake twists itself onto a bed frame.

 _Wonderful. This is where you people sleep? Jeez. I had better accomadations when I was homeless._

…

" _Come on, freak!" A fists connects solidly with my jaw sending my stumbling backwards. Blood oozes down my chin and I touch my split lip. He'll pay for this!_

 _I move in quick and box him hard around the ears. Before he had time to properly react, I kick him savagely in the groin and then lunge for his throat. He falls backwards and I fall with him. My hands tighten cruelly, stealing his oxygen. He sputters and struggles in vain to escape but I won't allow him the privilege. Blood boiling, I let go with on hand and twist it into a fist. My hand smacks over and over again into his rapidly turning blue face._

 _And then someone is smashing into my back, throwing me to the side and breaking my hold. Within seconds, I'm beating back my new assailant into submission and then turning to meet enemy number three. Two and one gasp for air and within minutes, three is down as well._

" _Who's next?" I growl but I don't stay long enough to find out. It was time to leave. They would be coming soon._

 _They always come._

…

"So," the woman finds me the next morning by the orchards. "How was your first day in hell?"

I smirk. This is hell? That's a laugh! Lady, you need to get out more.

"What?" She nudges me lightly in the side. "You think me funny, eh?" I hide a grin. "Ah, a smile! Finally! It's been such a long time since I've seen the likes of one of those. My name is Rose." I shake her withered hand even through the contact makes my skin crawl.

…

From a distance, Khan watches as his new toy breaks away from the older lady and again runs along the fence. His security officers watch her warily but make no move to touch her as her Khan's strict instructions.

He blinks in surprise when she vanishes and looks around _. Where did she go? Did she escape? Finally! It certainly took her long enough!_ He jumps to his feet and races to the spot where she disappeared—a loose plank.

 _Scrappy little imp._

"Get back here!" He shouts and his voice booms deafeningly. She turns to look back at him and runs faster. He smiles wildly in triumph. _And the chase is on!_

And then he's running. The wind weaves its thin fingers through his thick black hair as his feet pound firmly into the dirt. Dust flies behind him but no matter how fast or far he runs, he doesn't catch up. _She was faster than she looked._ She rushes into the forest.

 _And smarter too, it would seem._

He speeds up and then she's only three feet away, then two. Quickly, he jumps through the air and tackles her to the ground. He rolls off of her to avoid breaking any bones and then grabs her by the back of the neck. She growls and twists, nearly breaking free, but he tightens his grip just in time.

"Perhaps, next time." He smirks as he drags her back and she kicked him savagely in the leg.

"You are to be my new maid." He says after dragging her inside his huge home. "Tomorrow you are to shadow a servant which I will have sent down to your room. You will do everything he/she tells you and do it perfectly. After tomorrow, you alone will be responsible for the work."

She glares at him.

"Oh, come now." He purrs in amusement. "Soon, we'll be the best of friends."

Okay, tonight starts Yom Kippur so, I won't be able to start writing again until tomorrow. Have a good week :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry, it took so long to update. Had religious stuff to do, you know how it is when you guys celebrate/observe a holiday. I'd like to thank Sassiebone for her support and reviews. They have been very encouraging and I love hearing from my readers. :)**

 **WARNING: violence coming up. Immediately. No guts/gore, just blood and broken bones (none protruding).**

 **Chapter 5**

The next day, Khan watches out of sight while his new pet shadows a slave named Anna. The day passed uneventfully. As did the next week. Still, she said nothing and kept to herself. She did her duty swiftly and officiently before moving on the the next task.

And then everything changed.

She had snuck outside. Khan had watched eagerly from the window as she crossed the yard. One of his security officers/slave overseers instantly hit her in the side of the head, sending her sprawling. Khan finds himself wincing as he watches a line of blood burn down the side of her head, but soon he's hopping to his feet.

The woman jumps to her own feet with cat-like grace and lunges for the man's throat. He doesn't have time to react: one minute he's standing, the next he's on the ground gasping for air.

The woman kicks him cruelly in the rib cage over and over again and Khan can almost count the ribs as they break one by one. There's a shout and then more of Khan's security officers swarm her. One by one, she mercilessly throws them into the dust and beats them into submission. Her lithe body effortlessly avoids their blows before delivering her own.

A moment later, Khan watches motionlessly as half of his men hit the ground either unconscious or wailing in agony.

…

That night, he watches as she slips outside into the darkness. She moves silently through the inky shadows and easily evades detection by his gaurds…but…she doesn't try to escape. Instead, she heads for the horse coral and she watches as the horse in there, a mere skeleton, stares back at her. All of Khan's animals were like that: malnourished and sickly. It wasn't that he was unable to care for them, he simply didn't see the point in keeping them healthy. He didn't need them, not really. He had his crops and Star Fleet sent him enough money every month (as the judge had ordered) to help pay for the damages Marcus had caused. The animals simply made his plantation appear to be more of a harm rather than a new, makeshift prison…but it didn't help. Now, watching the woman watch the horse, Khan was reminded of his own cruelty. He should have fed it better, made sure it was healthy. It wasn't the animal's fault the humans had wronged him, stolen his family, and tortured him. It wasn't its fault that Khan's life was in shambles…but something needed to pay. If not Marcus, then something else. Something other than Khan.

The girl watches the animal and clicks her tongue quietly. The horse doesn't move, doesn't whinny. It simply hangs it head sadly.

And stares.

She sighs and then moves towards the tack room where the feed and supplies were held. _What was she doing?_ Khan wondered. _Is she going to feed it? Why? Why would she care? It wasn't her animal, her responsibility? Why care for something that wasn't yours? It makes no sense. No sense at all._

But then she came out, bucket in hand. Agilely, she climbs over the wooden fence and lifts the bucket to the horse's quivering nose. Seconds later, it's gulping down the food eagerly and stomping a tiny foot in content while she stokes its tangled tan mane.

And, for the first time, Khan heard her speak. It was a whisper, quiet and cautious, but words all the same. She gave it a shy but genuine smile and continued to stroke it. The horse didn't care. It was happy just to eat. She could kick it in the throat and it wouldn't care—it finally had grain! A full stomach!

"It's alright." She strokes its long, chestnut neck. "Slowly, don't eat too fast. My sister, Adva, would you. Yes…she would. She'd get all these burs out of your coat and shine you up all pretty. Hm? How would you like that? You'd have grain every day and never have to be hungry again…"

It nuzzles into her shirt and then plunges its muzzle back into the bucket. Khan smiles when he hears her laugh and he finds himself wanting to hug her close and joining in in her joy.

…

For weeks afterwards, Khan follows just out of sight as she returns every night to feed the horse, clean out its water, groom its dirty mane, and talk to it; and every morning she beats any guards senseless who dare to challenge her or neglect the animals (even the pigs, which seem to disgust her. Weird).

Soon, the guards begin to give her trail and watch her warily as she passes them by. They travel in groups of three to four to avoid being along should she suddenly get the urge to 'spar'. By this point, Khan was sure he couldn't get any of them to approach her even if he held them by gunpoint.

…

"What do you think you're doing?! You're going to get us all killed!" One slave complains and I shrug. "No one talks back to the guards, let alone fights them! He's going to kill you!" She looks fearfully at the large house where the Warden AKA "Khan" resides.

"So?"

"'So'? Do you want to die?"

"I want to be free."

"Free? The only freedom for people like us is death! Get used to it, girlie: your life doesn't matter. Your hopes, your dreams, your family—forget about them."

I lean in close to her face and snarl angrily: "Make me."

And then I'm walking away. The other slaves try to warn me to behave as well but I won't hear any of it. Why should I? This is their life to live, not mine. Let them serve the Warden. Let them watch as their children and friends are sold off one by one; that will not be my life—not if I have anything to say about it. I already have enough supplies squirreled away to make it far enough to get home.

I serve no man, let alone someone as cruel as the Warden. He's not human. He has no humanity, no compassion. No one, not even children are able escape his rage. He lets his animals starve and his unpaid workers, the slaves, are barely better off than his cattle! Well, not me! He can play as many mind games as he wants—he will NOT crush my spirit. I will return to my sister and I will do everything I can to keep her and my daughter away from people like that lunatic.

…

Unknown to Khan, she plans her escape right under his nose. During the day she works dutifully and fights brawls with both his workers and his servants (ending each one victoriously) that they were foolish enough start.

The night she leaves, Khan didn't even register her disappearance. His house was clean: the kitchen, library, study…everything was just…spotless. He figured she had wandered off to do some other chore or was again visiting the animals…but she wasn't, and….strangely, he found himself…missing her.

 _But that couldn't be right, could it?_

He was Khan Noonien Singh—he needed no one outside of his own family. _What was one measly slave, some lowlife human, to him? There were thousands of others just like her out there._

But why did he feel so empty? So…lonely?

She had broken (and stolen) his property, won the trust of his slaves, and scared his workers shitless ***(please excuse the language)***!If anything, he should be rejoicing that she was finally out of his hair! But he wasn't! He was miserable!

"Abram!" He shouts to his supervising guard. A tall man with olive skin stepped forward and kept his head bowed respectfully. "I'm leaving. I don't know when I'll be back. Keep everything in order."

"Yes sir." He salutes and marches stiffly away.

And then Khan is packing up a bag with clothes and supplies. She would travel bag to the town he saw her in on that first day. If he could get there, he would find her, he just knew it. And then, then he would make sure she never escaped again—even if he had to break her legs.

…

I run wildly and a small thrill at my newfound freedom. _Finally! I'm out of there! Now I need to find Adva and escape before the Warden decides to drag me back. Then all I need to do is stay ahead of The Enemy and everything will be alright. We will be alright._

 _But first, I've got to get there._

I run faster. My heart pounds hard within my chest and lungs expand widely to take in more oxygen. _Tonight, I'll travel as far as I can and then rest in the forest out of sight. If I'm lucky, he hasn't noticed yet. So long as the Warden remains in the dark, I have a better chance of getting away, but, by now, he's probably already noticed. In which case, I better move faster._

"So, kid. How are you liking freedom so far?" I ask the young slave girl running behind me and she whoops.

"Do you think he'll be mad when he catches us?"

 _Oh, he's probably already furious. Don't you worry any about that,_ I think darkly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the lull of the last one. I had it all in my head but it didn't work out quite so well going onto paper. Hopefully, this one will be more interesting.**

 **Chapter 6**

We stop for the night in an old, dilapidated building.

"So," I bite into an apple and eye the girl that escaped with me. "What's your name, kid?"

She had been following me for weeks, mimicking my movements as I cleaned the house and tened to the animals while searching for more weak spots in the Warden's security detail. She was about five years old and lanky. Her long blond hair was dirty and matted and dust covered her face.

"Leah."

"Nice to meet you." I nod to her and then toss her a blanket I had smuggled. "Rest up. Our day starts early tomorrow."

"We're going to die, you know." She states worriedly. "He'll catch up and then we'll die." She hides her face in her knees and I shrug.

"He has to catch up first and we got a pretty good head start. We'll stay here for a few hours and then start moving again. We'll change directions to throw him off and swim a few miles downstream to lose our scent in case he has dogs coming after us." In the end, I knew we'd get away. He may be good, but I was better.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Her brown eyes are wide with wonder.

"A couple times and see? I'm still here aren't I? Now, sleep. If you slow me down, I'm ditching you first chance I get, got it?"

"Got it." She lies down on her side and after a few minutes, allows unconsciousness to ferry her away.

She was so small, so young. She didn't deserve the life she had been dealt or the way she had been treated…and she reminded me of Adva. It wasn't that she needed to escape; it was that I needed to help her.

…

Dusk arrives way too early. I rub my eyes and sigh. Time to get moving. Yay…I can hardly wait…not.

"Come on." I prod Leah awake gently with my foot. She yawns and looks at me blearily.

"Hmm?" Her eyes flicker closed as she tries to drift back to sleep. I tap her harder in the side with my boot. We don't have time for this!

"Time to move out, kid." I say loudly and she whines.

And then we're wearily plowing on. The sun burns our shoulders and thorns bite at our exposed skin, sometimes drawling blood. Our feet stomp in unison as we hop over rocks and weave through the thick forest. Somewhere out there is home. Somewhere out there is my family. My heart marches in step with my body as the invisible bungee cord separating me and mine pulls me home.

Hours drag by. By now, my feet are beginning to blister and burn from all the walking and reunning we've been doing. The Warden would definately be noting my absence by now and I wonder vaguely if he has considered the possibility that I escaped yet or was still searching his own property…probably the former. He was a monster, yes, but a fool he was not.

By the time we reach a town, it is nightfall. My legs wobble and quake beneath me and I know Leah isn't doing much better. We sneak into a hotel room and stay the night. I force her to shower and then we devour everything in the mini fridge.

"Goodnight," Her tiny voice whispers and I smile back at her in response.

 _Goodnight, little one._ I think.

…

Khan flies his ship to the town where he had bought the woman and he looks around casually. She'll be approaching from the north. Given the distance between his property and here, it'll be a few days yet until she arrives, and then he will make her pay dearly.

That's when he sees a picture of a much younger version of the woman plastered to the inside of a school window. Curious, he wanders in.

"Hello?" A receptionist asks him. "Can I help you? Are you here for a pickup?"

"No. I came here to inquire about the picture in the window," Khan says neutrally and he nods towards the window to drive the point home before smiling a little to help put the lady more at ease.

"Oh, this…? Yes, she used to be a student here. A tragic thing really. Her entire family died in a housefire…not sure how it started. They were sleeping that night and, poof, place went up in flames. We never did find the bodies of the two girls, Meira and Adva, but we figured they'd have died. No one ever saw them again and they were always in town helping out doing one thing or another: volunteering at the local animal rescue, spending time at the local nursing home, or helping out in the soup kitchen. They were such nice kids. Quiet, sure, but they had good hearts…"

"And what about the older one?"

"Oh, Meira?" The woman frowns. "What about her?"

"What was she like?"

"Well, she was a regular puzzle, I suppose. She was bullied often but didn't usually defend herself, but she watched over her sister with a vengeful passion. Mess with the little one, and you'd find yourself in the ER."

"Sister?" Khan's eyebrows knit themselves together. So that's why she escaped. Family could drive anyone to do impossible things—even end their lives. He of all people should know that.

"Yes, Adva. She loves horses. Every day Meira and her would walk four miles to my house just so Adva could pet my horse and feed her some sugar cubes." Well, that explained why the woman, Meira, had taken an interest in and helped care for his mare without him asking it of her: it was something her younger sister would have done.

The lady continues to speak: "She was a sweet child. Quiet, but sweet. It was a real tragedy what had happened, but that's life I suppose. Why all the interest?" She cocks her head to the side inquiringly.

"Just curious." Khan shrugs, "Do you mind if I take this article with me?" The woman frowns but hands Khan the newspaper from the window and then he leaves without a second glance at her.

"Well, you're welcome!" She yells at his back.

He says nothing to her.

He mind whirls with questions: _why wouldn't they tell anyone that they had lived? That woman seemed to care for them, why didn't they just go live with her? Why allow everyone to think they were dead?_

So many secrets, so few answers. It was infuriating!

Well, he knew buying that slave would make things interesting. He may as well start looking around.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the wait. I know that it is not an excuse, but I've been busy at work. I'll try better to manage my time in the future.**

 **Chapter 7**

"I don't to walk anymore. I want to go home!" My companion complains and I sigh.

I wasn't too far now—just a _day_ (a day!) away from home. Why did this kid have to go and get home sick? Didn't she knew I had better thing to do than chaperon her? I knew I should have left her. I knew she would slow me down, but I didn't listen to gut when I should have. Well, no good deed goes unpunished, right? So, should I help her out or ditch her?

I glance at her. Her clothes are old, and worn, and thin—certainty not warm enough for winter, nor durable enough for longer use. I may as well get her something new. Why not? Maybe it would make her punishment more bearable upon her return when the Warden extracts his vengeance upon her frail body with the whip...

And who knows? Maybe one day, she'll lead a rebellion and save the others.

Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

"Alright. Come on, then." I say and her eyes go wide with surprise.

She had expected me to attack her or at least yell at her. She had anticipated violence, not acceptance. My heart sinks a little but I don't allow it to show on my face. I buy her more clothes, a bag, and food. Taking her carefully by the hand, I lead her to the train station and buy her a ticket. And this is how it ends: after a taste of freedom, the pup will go whimpering back to the cruel arms of its abusive master rather than endure the unknown.

"Good luck, little one." I whisper and she smiles sadly. She knew what was waiting for her, of the pain she was going to endure. But still she went. Like a bleating sheep, she walked to her doom and batted not an eye.

But why did I care?

She was not _my_ family. Not _my_ property. I had no right to worry for her...but this doesn't stop me from doing so. It's foolish. Stupid. But I can't stop myself from watching as the train screams and then jolts forward. My eyes continue to track its movement even after it fades entirely from both sight and hearing. People mill around me and complain loudly about the heat.

I sigh and wait for my own train. When it arrives, I step on and keep my head down. The ride is uneventful. I talk to no one and remain invisible among the sea of people. When it screeches to a stop, I slip out the doors and jug onto the cobblestone streets, glad to be out of the suffocating closeness of tight corridors.

"Alms. Have you alms for the poor?" An old woman stumbles towards me with outstretched hands. I stifle the desire to laugh at her; i barely had money for food much less anything to spare for charity! But I shake my head at her politely before starting to walk away from her. Her weathered face crumbles a little.

"Sorry," I reply.

The streets were filled with the poor and the dying. There would never be enough money to save you, lady. You could beg all day but once dusk falls, you'll still be sleeping in that alley-it didn't matter how much cash you had in your pocket. You were your own prisoner...and the one person you can never escape is yourself. That was a lesson I knew only too well.

An old gentleman walks past, but his wallet finds its way into my pocket without him ever noticing. I just smile a little to myself and walk off slowly. By the time he notices, I'm four blocks away and much richer than I had been before.

 **…**

Khan walks through the abandoned house, or, at least, what remained of it. The walls were covered in ash and soot. Much of the roof had either collapsed inwards or burned away. Many of the stone walls had crumbled inside the home covering the floors with heavy bricks. It was no wonder they had thought the children dead. How could anyone have survived something such as this?

Death would have been preferable to the thought of them burning alive. The woman at the school had been right: it was a tragedy. But how had they lived? Maybe they weren't in the home.

Maybe they knew.

They might have been in the forest, watching from a safe distance as their home was destroyed. Maybe they had screamed or cried but why not help their parents? And did someone plan this attack or was it an accident?

Khan didn't know and he was beginning to wonder why he even cared. What was one slave's past to him? Why did he care if he never saw her smile or her green eyes light up with joy? Why did he care if he knew that she would never call his land home…or enjoy his company…?

No. It didn't matter. It didn't. He was curious, that was all. He was curious and she was human—barely an evolutionary level above worms. She _was_ nothing and _meant_ nothing to him.

His hand smooths dust away from a cracked picture frame. The glass was still mostly intact with a large crack burning through the middle of the image. And there they were. All four of them. Adva was smiling and looking up at her sister Meira who laughed at the camera. Her father stood proudly behind her with his hands resting lightly on her should while her mother looked adoringly at him. They looked happy not troubled. They looked harmless not threatening. Had they been targeted? Assassinated? If so, why?

Khan walks outside the structure and frowns. The home was small and functional. It rested it twenty grassy acres with a rickety barn, an overgrown garden, and rusting farm equipment. A dilapidated chicken coop ran beside the house and a green pond blinked at him as the sun danced between the clouds. They had a respectable around money it seemed but it didn't appear as if they were rich. So, greed wasn't a likely motive.

He looked again at the home.

The roof. What was wrong with the roof? If he didn't know better, he would have said that it had fallen in because something had crashed through it and then exploded…but the woman had said they were killed in a fire. Not an air raid. Someone would have heard the engines of the aircraft as it descended low enough to strike…but no one had.

Because no one was here.

These people lived miles away from town. Of course it would have been labeled as a fire! No one would have ever seen the attack! But they knew! They knew it was coming! The parents must have sent the children away or…or they snuck out to explore or something, accidently saving their own lives! They would have seen the missile drop, heard the explosion. That's why they said nothing. Why poke a slumbering monster? If the enemy thought they were dead, who were they to correct it the error? After all, the instinct of self-preservation is a strong one…as are Meira's protective instincts.

He sighs.

She will never give up. He sees it now. He could take away her sister. He could torture Meira and break every bone in her body but she will always try to flee from him and race towards freedom. Towards wide and empty spaces. The instinct was woven into the very fiber of her being and then reinforced by tragedy.

He frowns sadly. Whatever was he going to do about his new pet? If it couldn't be trained, then what was the point in keeping it alive?

Well, he'd find a new way…maybe he could get her to like him…then she'd want to stay with them. If he helped her find her sister…yes…it was crazy enough the work…

 **Sorry, I know this chapter was a little slower. Things'll be getting better soon (I think. I have it planned out in my head, but it always changes a bit when I put it down on paper, I don't know why. Guess I'm just weird that way). Well, tell me what you think.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back! I didn't know quite how to this chapter would go, but I figured that this would work; so, tell me what you guys think. Have fun.**

 **WARNING: "bad words" and violence up ahead.**

 **Chapter 8**

Look! There it is…home. The cumbersome weight I've been carrying on my shoulders lifts just a little and I smile. It was good to be back. Now…where was Adva? I walk slowly around the house and check for signs of intruders. My heart freezes in my chest when I notice a large boot print in the mud not too far away from where I stand. Instantly, I crouch down and look around. The print was fresh. Whoever had left it was still here.

Somewhere.

"Don't bother running," a bored voice informs me and my blood boils. The Warden had found me. "I will catch you. Please," I can hear the arrogant smirk in his voice and my hand slowly curls around a large fallen branch. _I'll smash the smirk right off the bastard's face!_ "Come out. Let's talk like civilized people."

I don't move. I listen as his boots crunch on sticks. Slowly, he circles around me, getting closer and closer on each pass.

"Come out, come out where you are…" He growls.

And then I see my opportunity. The distant scream of a train distracts him, making him turn his back to me. My branch smashes, hard, into the back of his head, making him stumble forward…but he refuses to fall. In a flash, he's turning around and glaring at me, putting all his hatred into a single look.

"Was that truly necessary?" He snarls and I watch as his hand goes back to touch the wound. It comes away absent of blood. _Damn it!_

"It would appear so, yes." I say calmly and then my feet are flying over the ground, carrying me away.

He was fast, but this time, I was faster. I leap over fallen logs and jump between trees. My feet dance over stones as I rush over a roaring river and then into the city. People gasp as we rush by: a blur of blue followed by a tidal wave of black. His angry roar fills my ears and I dare not slow down. My head screams at me to run, and run, and run. For once, I listen. I ignore the whine in my heart telling me that I'm getting farther and farther away from my target with every step that I take…but I'd rather risk his wrath and have him secure her death. The farther he was away from my family…the better.

Even if I had to die.

"You think you can escape?" He yells and his fingertips graze the back of my shoulder.

Oh my God! I try to run faster, but my legs are rapidly weakening as my adrenaline quickly wears off. His body collides with mine, throwing me to the ground. I roll away from him but his hand snatches a firm hold around my ankle.

"Stop," He growls and with my free leg I move to kick him in the face; he dodges the blow easily. "Did you really think that you could escape me, of all people?"

I glare at him: "Go play in traffic."

He smirks. "It seems you and I have something in common." He releases my leg and hops lightly to his feet. I follow suite.

"Really, now?" I say sarcastically and his eyes narrow: he had not been expecting this kind of reaction. "And what is it we share, hm? The English language? The same planetary region? Hm? Those _hardly_ make us similar."

He chuckles but the sound seems hollow coming from him. "No, I was referring to our mutual dislike of Star Fleet." He pauses and looks at me meaningfully. If I had a rock, I'd crush his skull in. "We also have family members in the hands of some very…cruel individuals. Admiral Marcus to be exact."

 _What? Adva is with who? How did that happen? That's impossible! She had been fine! She and my daughter had both been fine! What changed?_

His blue eyes cut into me and I spring forward to punch him in the face. This was all his fault! If he hadn't freaking kidnapped me, Adva would be fine! None of this would have happened if he would have left me alone!

His hands grab my wrist and he pins me easily against a tree, bringing his body in close so I can't knee him in the groin. It doesn't stop me from trying.

"So, what do you say? Do you want to work with me to get your sister back?" A predatory grin slowly grows on his face and his grip on my wrists is starting to get painful.

"I'd rather die!" I snap. He frees one of his hands and traps both my wrists easily in one of his. His pale white hand reaches down and ghosts lightly by my throat.

"That," He breathes, "Can be easily arranged."

…

And here we are, walking side by side through the forest of freaking mystery. He smiles triumphantly every now and then but doesn't risk looking at me as if he knows that if he does, I'll beat him senseless. For now, a silence stretches between us and I make no move to fill it.

You wants to help me save Adva, fine. We'll work together? Okay. No problem.

Try to hurt her, and I'll end you. Simple as that. I'll try to help you with your people and I'm gone—smoke in the wind.

And this time, I'll make sure you never find me.


	9. Chapter 9

**Since I took so long to update, I decided to give you guys another chapter tonight. Hope this makes up for it some.**

 **I've also I may have decided a few chapters ago (and maybe you've noticed….) to make this thing into an "enemies to lovers" thing** _ **without the smut.**_ **Sorry, not my thing. :(**

 **I'll try to add in the Enterprise crew soon. Why not? I love Spock and Kirk's friendship and their relationship to Khan. It's definitely be fun to play with. :) *evil laugh***

 **Chapter 9**

She looks different when she sleeps.

She looks calm.

Content.

Beautiful.

The pale red firelight strokes her cheeks and gently touches her long eyelashes. She sleeps curls into a ball shivering slightly from cold. Khan slowly slips out of his coat and puts it on top of her like a blanket, all the while resisting the urge to touch her cheek.

She was so…different from what he had expected. She was quiet and intelligent and had a temper that could rival his own. Like him, she cared deeply for her family and would stop at nothing—nothing—to protect it.

Unlike him, she had a heart.

And a conscious.

There were certain barriers she would not break, certain lines in which she refused to cross. Yet, that was no problem for him. He had no problem killing for what he desired; the crew of the Enterprise would attest to that. Where she faltered, he thrived.

 _Yes,_ he smiles coldly, _they were quite the pair._

She shifts in her sleep and moves her arm under her head to serve as a pillow. Khan watches the movement intently before leaning against the trunk of a tree and surveying the area. All was quiet and peaceful. An owl hooted a few branches above him and bats swooped in close to snap up the bugs that were attracted to the light of the flames. The grass sways slightly in the cold breeze and Khan watches the field carefully for any sign of danger. Nothing presents itself. He sighs in disappointment before looking at Meira. His mouth curls into a warm smile and he quickly wipes it away.

What was wrong with him?

…

Before heading out, they eat a meager meal of berries of jerky. Warily, they size the other up and Khan waits for her to bolt away from him and race towards a freedom he will never allow her to attain.

But she doesn't.

She keeps her distance and watches him carefully but makes no move to run. Warm satisfaction replaces the blood in Khan's veins and he bites back a smile. Already, she was learning to tolerate him.

"Ready?" She asks him finally.

"Are you?" He purrs and then he walks past her stiffly and doesn't spare her a second glance. A sharp pinecone slaps the back of his head. He spins swiftly on his heels and glares at her. And she was just beginning to make progress.

"Resorting to childish pranks?" he growls, careful to make most of the rage burning his innards inside.

"Hm?" She gives him an innocent look. "What's your problem?"

He inhales deeply and slowly exhales, his fists slowly relaxing at his sides.

"Nothing," He growls and then turns around to presume walking away once more. He hears her footsteps crunch after him and then a slight hesitation. "I am not above breaking bones," He warns and her footsteps increase in speed.

Nothing else is thrown at him.

 _Progress, indeed._

…

"So, where's your family?" She yawns as they board their train and the doors swish closed behind her. Khan moves carefully ahead and finds them an empty carridge. He sits near the door allowing her to sit by the window.

"They are sleeping indefinitely. I hope to locate them and awaken them from their frozen slumber."

"What?" She gives him a weird look and he shrugs.

"Cryogenics," He answers simply. "It's long story." He looks out at the other passengers, keeping a keen eye for an enemies who may emerge.

"We're going to be on this thing for a few hours. Start talking, pops."

He frowns coldly. 'Pops'. How old did she think he was? Sixty? "And how old are you, exactly?" He fought to make his voice was level and calm.

"Twenty five. You?" She spares him a glance and then focuses her attention to the blurring landscape outside.

"Thirty."

"So, the story?" She raises an eyebrow at him…and he tells her.

He tells her of how Marcus had discovered the Botany Bay awakening him in order to create a war with the Klingons…and how his family had been unknowing hostiges. He tells her of his part in bombing the archives and then the attack on the higher ranking officers in Star Fleet...and then his capture by Captain Kirk and Commander Spock. He tells her how they attempted and failed to infiltrate the USS Vengeance and how they had barely managed to escape with their lives. By the time Khan goes on to describe his trial, Meira is giving him her full attention. With regret and rage burning his throat, he tells her how Marcus had escaped punishment for his crimes, remained in charge of Star Fleet, and still had control of his family.

"How did you escape? From Section 31?" Her green eyes watch him intently and Khan blinks, not allowing himself to be pulled into their depths.

"A man helped me. He gave me food when they starved me, medicine when I was injured…"

He remembered the night well. _They had starved him for weeks on end and taken gallons of blood from him every day…but the man had helped when he could. He snuck Khan bread and water and talked to him as if he were a human being rather than an animal. A worm._ Khan's blood curdles at the memory and he tastes bile at the back of his throat.

 _He had opened to the door to Khan's cell and quickly stepped into the room. Fear flew off of him in suffocating waves but the human refused to hesitate. Gently, he helped Khan to sit up. He took Khan's arm and put it over his shoulders and then grabbed the Augment lightly around the waist. Carefully, he stood and started to help Khan out of the cell and into the hallway._

" _Where are we going?" Khan groans weakly. "Another test…? More torture…?" His mind spins wildly and he fights the urge to vomit._

" _How does freedom sound, buddy? I'm getting you out of here. Come out. We need to move faster. I know you don't feel well, but we have to move. That's it…come on." He urges._

" _Why?" Khan gasps. "If this is a trick…" He doesn't have the strength to finish the sentence._

" _And what good would it do to trick you if you can't even stand, hm?" The man smirks ruefully. "It's what my people do. Help people. If you want to stay here, I can take you back but…you know. It probably wouldn't end well for you, you know?"_

" _My family…" White hot pain flashes up Khan's side and he freezes to catch his breath. Usually he recovered faster from his trips to the agony booth. It must be the lack of nourishment, his mind supplies._

" _I know. I hid them in your torpedos. Remember? The ones you designed? They're safe—for now. I'm still working on them but I think I can get them out tomorrow. This is as far as I can go. Just keep going forward, you'll see an open pod. It's already set on autopilot. Just get in, eat, and get some rest, okay? I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you, but it was the best I could do."_

" _You name?" Khan pants and leans weakly against the wall. His head is still spinning…but it seems to be slowing down some. "What is your name?" He narrows his eyes to better look at the man: tall, white skin, green eyes, some face stubble._

" _David Stone. Now go."_

" _And you?" Khan asks._

 _The man shrugs and gives him a sad smile: "why ask a question when you already know its answer, Mr. Singh?"_

 _A deep sadness fills the Augment at that moment. They would find out that Mr. Stone had been the one to save him from this nightmare and they would end his life just as easily as blowing out a candle. Chances are, the fallout may even spill out to the man's family…his wife…any children they may have together. Marcus was nothing if not cruel and savage. He would seek to make an example out of Mr. Stone to discourage such bouts of bravery and kindness in the future._

" _Thank you." Khan whispers and then he's pulling the man close, a single tear escaping his eye. He turns slowly and then leaves._

" _Good luck," The man whispers after him and Khan can feel him watching him even as he disappears from sight. He collapses into the pod and manages to crawl into the cot. The pod lifts itself outside the base just as the alarms go off and phaser blasts fly through the air._

 _They had already caught his deliverer._

 _Good luck. The words follow him into his dreams as he's rocked to sleep by the pods gentle swaying._

 _Good luck…_

…

"Hello?" Meira snaps her fingers, bringing him back to the present.

"Excuse me?"

"I was asking how you escaped."

"Inside help." Khan answers simply before looking back outside the carridge to analyze the other passengers…and avoid her gaze. "I am a man with connections…"

He had never found out what had happened to David Stone…at least, until he had seen the picture of Meira and her family. David Stone had been her father. Her family had been destroyed in order to protect Khan's. He hides his sorrow. Now, more than ever, he was determined to save Meira's little sister.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks everyone for following this story and reading it. I'm glad you guys like it. :)**

 **Chapter 10**

"Do you see that?" Khan asks and he nods in front of them.

"An old woman with a cat?" She rolls his eyes at him and he shakes his head briskly.

"No. There." He points, "Star Fleet."

She shrugs: "just a cadet."

"Is he?" He challenges. Meira glances at him and then back to the cadet.

"Yes," annoyance creeps into her tone. "Here, why don't you stay here and play special ops. I'm going to find out where my sister is."

"And just how do you plan on doing that?"

"I am fluent in multiple languages—coding just so happens to be one of them."

"Coding?" He cocks his head to the side. She was hacker? This woman had more secrets than the best of them.

"Yep, come on."

"Where are we going?" He walks after her but to his irritation, she doesn't answer him.

After a few minutes, they leave the city limit and find themselves at the abandoned section of town. A few house sporadically dot the barren landscape and still she doesn't stop.

"Meira?" He questions.

"Almost there."

"And where is there?" He hates this: not knowing what is going on. For all he knew, she was leading him straight into a trap.

"My office."

"Office? You?" Her furrows his brow and he watches her hide an amused smile. His annoyance at her fades.

"Shut up." She turns away from him. "Here we are."

This was it? Really?

It was an old, dilapidated warehouse. Electrical cables were ripped from the roof and sparked weakly. The metal walls were dented, rusted, and warped. Dead potted plants attempted to lift the mood but, 'surprisingly' didn't make him feel any better.

She worked here? This was here safe haven? Their miracle solution to saving their loved ones…? This was pathetic. No, this was worse than pathetic—this was insane.

"You coming in?"

"That depends." He eyes the structure.

"On…?"

"Whether or not the building wil collapse upon you opening the door?"

She laughs. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

"How comforting," he says sarcastically before following her in. Inside, at least, was different. There were dozens of computers flashing expectantly at them. The room was cool, the walls clean. The support beams seemed structurally sound.

"Take a seat and prepare to be amazed." She sits down at the center terminal and immediately gets to work.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm connecting to the Network. From there, I search through the compiled data base. If need be, I break-and-enter."

"Excuse me?"

"The 'Network' is a hot spot for hackers where we exchange information and targets. I can ask around and see what other people know. 'Breaking and entering' refers to hacking into someone else's computer and copying all their data onto my device. I can get in and out without getting detected…usually."

"How many hackers are on this network of yours?"

"Billions from all over the galaxy."

"Any from Star Fleet?"

"Any person from Star Fleet found here is instantly attacked with a virus that steals all of their data and renders their device permanently inoperable. We red flag them and then it's a feeding frenzy. That's if they're lucky. If they're admiralty or on a Star Ship, they usually don't survive. People hack into the ship itself, turning off their life supports or taking them into enemy territory."

"That's a little cruel, isn't it?" He blinks in surprise. How could she go along with this? Where were her morals?

"I don't go along with it, but it keeps the number of spies to a minimum."

"Perhaps Marcus will try to join." Khan suggests hopefully.

"Nope. Too smart." She says and Khan agrees inwardly. The man was a lot of things, but he wasn't quite that foolish, no.

"So, now what?"

"I search. What else?"

While she searches, his mind wanders. He wonders just what had happened to David Stone, the man who had saved him. Had his death been an accident like the news had claimed or had he been right about an air strike? And why had he helped him when no one else would? What made him care? What made him risk his life and that of those he loved?

And had it been worth it?

Khan was a monster in nearly every form of the word. He killed people and he enjoyed it. He killed people without feeling a single once of remorse and saw humans as inferior beings that deserved annihilation.

Yet, he mourned David Stone's death and had vowed to save a human girl, whom he had never even met. So, what was he? Was he the monster Marcus molded him to be or was he more than that? More than the darkness of his past?

 **…**

 _'Here,'_ _His hand had reached through the force a hole in the force field. 'Take it. You need your strength'._

 _'Why?' Khan had questioned. 'What do you want from me'?_

 _But he took the food from Stone. To this day, he can't figure out what had made him do it. What had made him trust the man. Maybe it was his eyes, kind an honest. Maybe it was the way he looked at him as if he had mattered, his look void of pity._

 _Or maybe it was the starvation…_

 _'Nothing'. The man—Stone—had promised him. 'I can't just sit here and do nothing while they kill you more and more every day. There's a rebellion. People are fighting for you to live. It's not your fault we're so…flawed. You know, we hate your kind because everyone things you tried to kill us through genocide, but how of those have we created to kill those of our kind'?_

 _'You're not making any sense. Explain yourself'. He tried to sit up by his body refused to cooperate. Groaning, he admitted defeat silently and glared up at the man who clamed to want to help him._

 _'No. I'm sorry, but I have to leave—they can't catch me here. Just stay strong, alright? Save your strength and pretend to go along with what they say—just for a little while. I'm going to get you out of here. I promise'._

 _'And the catch'?_

 _'I don't know,' the man shrugged and Khan took a bite out of the bread. His hunger re-awoke with a vengeance and he quickly took another. 'Take your family and go somewhere safe. Just don't nuke Earth, I guess'._

 _'They'll kill you,' his voice was flat. Emotionless._

 _'They'll certainly try. Good luck, my friend. Stay strong'._

 _'Wait! Who are you?' Khan suddenly couldn't stand the thought of being alone. He knew it was weak and selfish but he wanted—no, needed—that man to stay there just a bit longer. It had been so long since he had heard a kind word or had a normal conversation not involving war or the death of his family…_

 _Stone merely smiled sadly as if sensing Khan's thoughts: 'I am truly sorry. Really, I am, but now is not the time. Good bye'._

 _He vanished into the shadows._

 _'Good bye…' Khan whispers sadly and he finishes the meager meal in one quick_ gu _lp._

 **…**

"Got her. You coming?" Meira asks and Khan blinks quickly.

"Yes."

 **I know, this one was a bit slow. Next one should be better. Well, goodnight.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks everyone for following this story and reading it. I'm glad you guys like it. This chapter, I think, is much better than the last; I really enjoyed writing it, anyway. :)**

 **Chapter 11**

Khan awakes to a sound. His head snaps up and he looks around quickly in an attempt to find the disturbance. Meira is leaning on his desk, her arm used as a pillow. A few pigeons coo at him form the roof. Other than that, nothing. He frowns.

There!

There it is again: a low, quiet hum, barely louder than a breath of air. Slowly, he stands up and walks cautiously towards the door. The hum grows louder and then he's enveloped by a bright golden light. Snarling, he leaps back in an attempt to escape from the lights transporting him away, but he moves too late. He has just enough time to see the doors kick in a armed officers swarm into the warehouse before he is ripped away and hurled into the brig of the USS Enterprise.

He roars and punches the clear barrier as hard as he can in a fit of rage but the barrier holds and remains unmarred.

"Khan." An emotionless voice states calmly.

Blue eyes drill into uncaring black: "Mr. Spock," The Augment growls, seething. "What is the meaning of this? Surely your Star Fleet doesn't condemn kidnapping?" He spits the words out as if they were fire.

"You are to serve on the USS Enterprise as per the terms of your parole. Had you been in you designated area, there would have been no need for the 'kidnapping' as you so delicate put it. When you calm down, the Captain will speak to you in his quarters." Spock goes to walk away.

"And what of my companion? The woman who was with me?" Khan asks as his frustration rises still higher.

"Your companion is a threat to society," Spock pauses mid-step but doesn't turn around. "She will be tried in court for her crimes and a judge will decide her punishment should she be proven guilty." Spock glances at Khan curiously over his shoulder. "And what is she to you? I would not have thought you to be capable of growing emotional attachments to humans."

"I was merely curious," Khan forces his face to remain neutral lest his expression betray the fear twisting painfully in his chest. "She's merely one of my slaves."

"If she cooperates, she will not be harmed." Spock says steadily and Khan knew that that wasn't an option—not for Meira. If they were going to apprehend her, they would probably have to kill her first. "It would better for her if you do not mention your attachment to her to anyone else," Spock informs him quietly. "The people who desire to harm you could easily do so through her."

"I am not attached to her!" Khan snaps quickly.

"Of course." Spock does not look convinced. "I will send the doctor by in an approximately three hours to check you for any injuries that you may sustain when you go into a rage upon me taking my leave. Good day, Mr. Singh."

And then he's gone.

And rage, Khan does.

He punches the walls until his hands are bloody and kicks at the barrier until he can hardly stand. Roaring, he rips the metal cot from the wall and hurls it at the clear barrier, which still refuses to crack, let alone shatter.

When Bones arrives, the cot is completely warped and twisted beyond repair, deep dents cover the heavy metal walls, and Khan's hands are covered in blood.

"Good, God man! Have you ever considered taking medication for that?" He gestures to the room and Khan shrugs wearily.

"No." The Augment says simply.

"You, my friend, have more problems than a crazy cat lady at a dog convention." Bones rolls his eyes and Khan sighs as the grumpy doctor stomps into his cell uninvited. Bones scolds him while he cleans and bandages Khan's hands but makes sure to treat the wounds gently.

"Well," The doctor sighs and looks Khan when he finishes. "At least you didn't kill anyone this time."

"Or at least, not yet." Khan responds coolly and Bones narrows his eyes at Khan, who smirks with amusement.

"That's not funny," Bones glares.

"There is a distinct possibility, Doctor, that it was not meant to be." Khan goads carefully.

"I don't like you." Bones stalks out of the cell and stomps down the hallway. Khan watches him leave with flaming blue eyes and then sighs, glaring down at his feet. Everything was just falling into place…

…And now it was all ruined.

He would forever remain the slave of Star Fleet and never again see his family—or Meira—again. It was over; why else would they have assigned him to this ship out of all others? The crew would most certainly want his blood after he had killed hundreds of them in his attempt to double cross Kirk and kill Marcus. Their kindness in sending him a doctor was a mere formality before shooting him out of an airlock and into the cold, uncaring vastness of space whereupon he would freeze, die, and explode.

 **…**

"Are you calm enough to speak to the Captain?" Khan blinks and is surprised to see Spock standing calmly in front of his cell. "Or should I return in a few more hours?"

"I am calm." Khan grits out.

Spock analyzes him coolly for a minute before nodding once: "Follow me."

And just like that, he's free. The barrier vanishes completely allowing him free access to the ship…but no, it would not be that easy. Knowing the Vulcan, he would have already planned for an escape attempt and covered his bases thoroughly. Khan eyes Spock and steps smoothly out and the barrier quickly forms again behind him.

"Shall we begin?" Khan growls and Spock turns away from him and walks away.

 **…**

I run through the allies and resist the urge to scream.

 _Where did Khan go? Why were these people trying to kill me? Who were they? What was going on?_

They yell something after me but I don't dare to slow my pace. If I pause, if I hesitate, I'll die. I just know it. These people are foes, not friends. Any mistake, no matter how small, could have dire consequences. I know where they are holding Adva. Maybe, if I can get there before they can get me, everything would be okay. It had to be. All I have to do is run, and breath, and live.

A phaser blast whisks past my right ear and I tense.

"FREEZE!" A man shouts loudly but I veer away from him and try to go right…but there's another one. I turn quickly but everywhere I turn, there is another person ready to grab me. My heart pounds in my ears and terror races wildly through my body.

I'm surrounded.

There is nowhere to run.

Panting, I slow to a stop they begin to close in. When one goes to grab me, I break his nose and all hell breaks loose. There's screaming, and fighting, and pain. My vision floods with red and from there on out, I'm unaware of my actions. Later, I'll be told that they had to shoot my ten times with phasers set on KILL in order to bring me down…and still I had fought.

When I woke up, I don't know how many hours later, I was in a small 3x4 cage. My fingers curl carefully over the bars and I try to kick the wire door open but it doesn't work. Someone out in the darkness cackles crazily but no matter how hard I fight, I can't escape.

"Prisoner number 0055." A security officer wearing a painfully bright red shirt stops in front of my cage and he smirks down coldly at me.

"Your trial begins tomorrow at 0400 hours." He states smuggle and then he kicks my cage, rolling it—and me—onto our sides. I land hard on my arm and yelp in pain. A needle is pushed into my shoulder sharply and my vision begins to fade.

"You better…" His words begin to fade.

"Get…" A ringing fills my ears and I struggle to keep my eyes open, but my eyelids are getting so heavy…and I'm so tired….

"Some…" The darkness is pulling me away and the harder I fight, the faster I fall into it.

"…Sleep."

 **…**

"So, Khan, your duties are relatively simple. You'll work in Scientific Research with Spock from 0600 to 1700 hours conducting experiments and documenting the results. Occasionally, you will assist us on missions in which we will explore other worlds, some of which can could be incredible dangerous. You dorm will be sparsely furnished and you will be given the bare minimum to furnish it with… you can blame this on how you…redecorated your cell earlier. If you don't want to eat in the Cafeteria with everyone else, there is a replicater in your room. So, any questions?" Kirk asks and Khan stares at him for a minute or two while he thinks.

"The woman who was with me, when will I learn of her fate?"

"Her trial is to take place tomorrow, I think; so, probably sometime this week." Kirk shrugs. "Anything else?"

"No."

"Good, I'll have Chekov show you your room."

 **…**

His room consist of a small bed, a replicater, a mini fridge, a bedside table, and bathroom. Nothing more. Nothing less. Well, he's certainly lived in worse. He would take this over Section 31 any day and twice on Sundays.

It was safe.

It was…practical…but lonely.

He missed the comradery he had shared with his loved ones…and he even missed Meira's hostility. She had been cold but predictable—mostly. He had no idea to expect of Kirk's people. He wanted to assume they'd treat him cruelly but no one had yet tried to harm him.

Well, all good things come to those who wait, right?


	12. Chapter 12

**I wasn't really sure how to do this chapter but I gave it my best shot.**

 **Chapter 12**

The next morning, before the sun even has time to rise, I'm shoved roughly into the court room.

"Meira Stone." The judge says tonelessly. "The court hereby finds you guilty of your crimes."

What crimes? And why wasn't I here for my own trial? Doesn't my story count? Don't I have a right to know what I'm being accused off? This is ridiculous? Who does this guy think he is? Who died and made him all powerful?

"Go run into traffic." I say firmly. Loudly.

His cold eyes narrow and then a cruel smile curls itself onto his wrinkled face. Oops.

"You have two choices." He says calmly and I wait. He waits for me to speak and I cross my arms over my chest irritably. The judge sighs quietly and shakes his head in disappointment.

"Well?" I yawn.

"Death by firing squad," He intones and my heart drops instantly. What? DEATH? "Or…you could serve Star Fleet for three years."

I don't even have to think about my answer. With these options it's a no brainer!

"Death." I say.

 **…**

"You are here earlier than expected." Spock says disinterestedly as Khan steps into the labs.

"Is this a problem for you, Commander?" Khan says carefully and Spock raises an eyebrow at him.

"No." Spock says eventually and then he looks back into his microscope.

"And what is you are doing, pray tell?" Khan takes the stool in front of the Vulcan and watches him carefully. For a moment, it seems as if the man hadn't heard the Augment but slowly, painstakingly, he glances up.

"I am developing a serum to fight against a host of viruses. If you would like to be of use, grab a microscope from storage and get to work. Samples of the illnesses are stored in the fridge." Spock looks back into the microscope without further comment and Khan sighs inwardly. That was it? It sounded…boring to say the least, but he got the needed materials nevertheless and promptly got to work.

For hours, they worked in silence. Occasionally, pushing a slide or sample to the other but never once allowing their hands to touch. When the clock chimed, signaling lunch, Spock put his things away and then started to walk out of the room.

"When will I learn the fate of my companion?" Khan asks, sparing the Vulcan a glance.

"I have been here with you all day. You would have learned her fate, the exact moment that I would have. It is a difficult case, I believe. They may still be deciding."

"And will she die?" A small hint of the anguish he was feeling inside washed over into his words and Spock cringes inwardly.

"I do not know." And then Spock leaves Khan alone.

For a minute, Khan stares down at the table and scrutinizes its perfectly flat, metallic surface. He analyzes his blurry reflection and thinks quickly. For a moment, he considers escaping the Enterprise and rushing to save Meira…but to do so would only put his family in danger. The terms of his parole stated that any violation—no matter how small—would certainly place members of his family—or all of them, he didn't know….it didn't matter—in the hands of knowledge hungry scientists, who would descend upon them like rabid dogs. He cared for her, but not that much. One life was not worth nearly a hundred others…no matter what debt he owed her father. His family always came first.

Always.

 **…**

Again, I try to open the door by slamming by shoulder into it and again I fail. I can feel the hot sun grabbing my metal box in its hand and squeezing just hard enough to suffocate me with its intense heat. If I don't get out of here, I'll die from a heat stroke…or is that their intentions?

"You ready to reconsider?" I hear the judge shout from outside and I lean my head against the door wearily and shake my head. Beads of sweat slip down my skin and I draw in a shuddering breath as another wave of heat crashes in.

"No." My voice is barely louder than a whisper. "Never."

"What?" Something hits the door near my head from the other side but I don't flinch away.

"No!" I shout louder and my voice booms painfully off the walls.

"Suite yourself, girl." He snaps. I never hear his footfalls, but I know with utter certainty that he had left me alone to melt.

"Well, well, well," The guard says smoothly and my eyes snap open. I know that voice. "Looks like you've done it now, huh? Man, he doesn't look happy. Not. One. Bit. " His fingers drum against the hot metal and I find myself listening carefully to the chaotic sound. Ed. What was he doing here?! "Well, wish I could stay and chat, but I've got work to do, freak. Good luck." He laughs and then silence.

 _Freak_ , the word ignites in my brain and I slowly sink to my knees as the memory hits.

 **…**

 _'Watch your back, freak!' Some bully—I don't remember which one (there had been so many)—screams at me. 'You'll pay for this!'_

I had maybe ten years old. Which city was this? What had been my name? Who was I here? _I dismissed the thoughts. They didn't matter._

 _I had broken his noise; he had broken Adva's toy. It had seemed like a fair trade—more than fair; after all, I had allowed him to live. What was one broken bone to a life? He made her cry, I sent him crying home to Mama; what's wrong with that? I didn't understand._

 _But he was cruel._

 _All kids are cruel._

 _The next, he had thrown rocks at us as we ran to school. I put myself between Adva and the sharp projectiles, but we had both been hit._

 _'Freak!' he yelled at me, laughing the whole time._

 _'What happened to your nose?' I had shouted back. 'I think I like that look! You should look like that none often!' I taunt. By now, we're insight of the building and there is nothing he can do but glower and plot his revenge…but I would win. In the end, I had always won._

 _It would seem like he finally got his checkmate after all._

 **…**

"Where is my companion. _Captain_?" Khan growls at Kirk.

It had been a week and still Khan had heard nothing about her. No trial details. No verdict. Nothing. Where was she? Was she even alive or were the monster ripping her apart, limb from limb?

"Hm…?" Kirk says groggily and then he sits up abruptly. "Khan? What…what are you doing here…? How did you even get in?!"

"My companion, Captain, Due try to keep up. Where is she?" Irritation burns in his chest. He should have known the outcome days ago!

"I don't know. I think they're still reaching a decision." Kirk blinks wearily and glances up at Khan. "How are you doing in the labs? Any progress yet?"

"I believe there would be more progress if I weren't so preoccupied," the Augment glowers at him and Kirk shrugs nonchalantly.

"I can't speed up the process. Sorry. They have to hear both sides of the story. You went through this, remember? All the evidence and witnesses are presented. The jury listens to it all and deliberates in the back room…? There's not much I can do."

"And when will there be news?"

"Maybe when there actually is news?" Kirk says sarcastically and Khan considers snapping the man's neck. Kirk swallows, sensing Khan's mood and then tries again, more carefully this time. "It's a long process. When they tell us what's happened, you'll be the first to know. Now can you please get out of my quarts? It's like three in the morning!"

"As you wish." Khan, with a heavy heart strides out of the room.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Let! Me! OUT!" With every word I scream, my hands slap the hard metal door.

"Oh, you'll get out, freak." The guard growls and I feel myself bristle inwardly. "In fact, I think your ride is here." His cruel laughter is the only warning I get before the container jerks violently, the ground flying out from under my feet.

The back of my head connects hard with the ground and then I'm being thrown onto the wall, then backwards again. I try to yell but my voice freezes in my throat. Another jolt, and my front is thrown into a wall (or is it the roof)? I don't know—I've given up trying to keep track. Then, just like that, it still. Gold lights wraps around me and no matter ho fast I try to limp away from it, it refuses to let go. One minute, I'm trapped in that dark metal shipping container, the next I am blinded by light.

"How are you feeling?" A kind but confident voice asks and I turn my glare towards the sound…but I can't make who—or what—has just spoken.

"Are you alright?" He asks this time allowing concern to paint his words but I couldn't help wondering vaguely if it was all some kind of trick. "What's your name, lady?" I fall weakly into a wall and then people are shouting. The same man as before rushes towards me and I can just make out the golden yellow color of his shirt.

"Bones, quickly!" He screams. "Bones, I think something is wrong." Dizziness brings me to my knees and then gentle hands are pushing me down onto my side.

"Easy," a gruff voice with a lazy southern accent murmurs…but it sounds far away and is fading quickly. "Easy, relax. Everything is going to be alright. Someone get me an IV and a gurney! I need to get her to medbay stat!"

Then I'm lying on my back on a hard, flat surface. My head begins to spin wildly as they race me through cold, white hallways, the southern man snapping irritably at the others from time to time. Finally we reach a large room stinking of antiseptic and I'm moved onto another bed. An IV is pushed quickly in my arm and I flinch at the needle.

Moving slowly, I try to roll off of the bed and make my escape but a nurse quickly moves forward and pushes me back down after positioning a pillow under my head. A strap is then secured loosely around my waist. The blackness comes not soon after.

 **…**

A groan and open my eyes.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. You were only dehydrated and had low blood sugar." A man with kind brown eyes said in a smooth southern accent. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." I try to sit up but he pushes me carefully back down onto the bed.

"Relax. You need to rest." He shines a light in eyes and I carefully weigh the rewards versus the punishments of punching him in the face. He sees my look and sighs. "Look, I'm not here to hurt you. Are you experiencing any pain, dizziness, or nausea?"

He turns the light off and then analyzes the various monitors around me with a scrutinizing gaze.

"No."

"Good." Then he sticks me with a hypo and I pass out.

 **…**

"So," the man in gold walks me around. "This is your quarter. Unfortunately, you'll have to share until we can add on another room somewhere else. Is that alright?"

"Sure…?" I still understand why I'm here. I was given a choice of Star Fleet and death…and this is not what I had picked but so far things seemed to be going alright. No one had tried to hurt me or anything so, that was good.

"How do you like it?" he asks.

"It's…nice." The room was bare but functional. In short, it would due. I didn't plan on staying long anyway. I'll play along for a while, but I'm leaving this ship one way or another. Adva is still out there and I'll be damned if I'll stay here and do nothing about it.

After saying very loudly that his name is ' _Captain James Kirk'_ , he leaves me in peace. I wander idly around the room, examining the beds, the dressers, the bathroom. Whoever lived here was neat and orderly, almost obsessively so. Their bed was made tight and crisp, military style. Their few belongings were lined up neatly, taking up exactly half of the room. No more, no less. There were no personal pictures although I did spot a few paperback books. Hm. I like this person better already.

It doesn't take my long to make up my bed and a red shirted ensign drops off some clothes (some plain black t-shirts, dark grey pants, black boots, black socks, black belt, and under garments), soap, and towels. I nod at her appreciatively and she smiles back in return before marching onto her duties.

"Nice to meet you." She calls over her shoulder.

I put my clothes up in a gray dresser bolted to the wall and frown as I sit on my bed. These people were not what I expected of them. They were kind, not cruel even though they had to know that I didn't trust them. Hm. Maybe they aren't so bad after all…

Or maybe not. Who knows?

I step into the shower and wash off the blood and dirt that had accumulated over the last week. Feeling clean once more, I walk into back into the bedroom and snuggle into the bed. Before too long, I pass into sleep.

 **…**

 _'They be here soon'. My dad whispers and he hugs me close. 'You have to be strong. Take Adva and run. No matter what, never look back and don't stop until you've reached the safe house.'_

 _'What about you? What about mom? Don't leave me alone! Come with us!' I beg. 'We can all get away, dad. It doesn't have to be like this.' The tears start to fall and I can't stop them because I know. I know that this is the last time I'll ever see them alive…and I want more than anything to hold off the inevitable._

 _'Please. Daddy.' I beg. 'Please.'_

 _I hadn't called him that in years but I'm desperate now. I know nothing of caring for a child. What if I mess up? What if they catch up and kill us? What if I fail? I don't want to do this! Please don't make me do this!_

 _'I'm sorry.' He whispers and I can see that he truly is._

 _The pain is ripping him apart from the inside out and he wants more than anything to go with us…but he can't. We both know that he can't. As long as he lives, they will always hunt us. With his death, maybe, just maybe, his secret will live._

 _'Here.' He pushes my bag into my arms and then gently pushes Adva towards me. 'Go.' His voice is firm and strong, leaving no room for argument. 'Go to the safe house. Stay there for a month and then go to the next one….And then the next one and the next one. Never stop moving. Never make attachments. Change your name with every place you go until you lose yourself in your lies. Hopefully by then…by then they would have forgotten…and you would be safe.'_

 _And we do._

 _I grab Adva's hand and we never stop running even when the ground shakes with explosions and our house collapses inwards. We run and we run and we run but it didn't matter._

 _They got us both in the end anyway._

 **…**

Khan stalks down the hallway. Still, he had nothing about Meira. They must have killed her why else would there have been silence for this long? She was dead and he was a fool for having ever thought it possible for him to help her.

He freezes when he marches into his quarters. Something was…wrong. The room smelled…different. Frowning, he looks around. The bed that had previously been unoccupied now holds a sleeping person. Slowly, Khan stalks forward and then his heart stops as he looks at the newcomer's face.

"Meira?"

 _Why was she on the male's wing? And how did she get here_?

"Hmm?" The woman hums and she blinks open her eyes. The moment she sees him, she bolts upright in the bed and hurls her pillow at his face. Surprised, he doesn't even bother trying to duck. The plush object softly hits his face and he catches it easily in his hands.

"Khan?!" She yelps and he smirks at her reaction. Her can hear her heart pounding wildly in her chest and he watches as she wills it to slow.

"I have missed you as well." He hands the pillow back and then lies down flat on his bed on the opposite side of the room, staring at the ceiling. A warm blanket of contentment fills his chest. She was safe. She was on the male's dorm, which my present some problem's to her safety…but she was safe. Alive.

After a while, she settles back down and falls again back in sleep. Once he's sure she won't wake up, he slowly gets to his feet, covers her back up with her thin blanket, and takes a shower. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day. For the first time since he got onboard the ship, the sonic shower didn't bother him.

He was just glad that she was _here_.

 **This one was fun to write. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**WANRING: has some violence in there** ** _(yay, violence!)_** **but there's also some fluff towards the end** ** _(or is it pre-fluff…? I don't know, I'm still trying to figure out the hidden language of fanfiction. I'll get there—don't worry)._**

 **Chapter 14**

He watches her sleep. As before, she was calm and content. Slowly, he reaches over and gently brushes his long, white fingers across her cheek. She frowns in her sleep and brings her forearm in front of her face; her sluggish movements making him smile. He hadn't released how much he had missed the prickly tempered woman until he had seen her again.

 **…**

The next morning, he finds that they are working in the same lab.

 _Strange. What could she possibly contribute to_ their _research?_

She was, after all, just a slave, but she proves him wrong. She keeps up with their discussions easily and offers her own groundbreaking suggestions. Her fingers easily work the microscope and position the slides. She makes quick, efficient notes and conducts her own experiments. By the end of the day, they've helped to found cures for at least three fatal diseases.

But she doesn't stay close to him like he had thought she would.

She's wary and cautious, putting herself closer to the Vulcan than to him…but he doesn't mind. Much. Or, so he tells himself. Oh, well, it was nothing. It _meant_ nothing. He hoped. Oh, how he hoped it meant nothing.

The rejection, small that it was, festered within his chest and grew from a small spark to a roaring flame. He couldn't stifle his anger when he saw her and the Vulcan talking casually in the hallway or her smirking easily at one of Spock's ridiculously flat comments. By the end of their shift, Khan would happily strangle the both of them.

Honestly, he didn't know how it had happened. They were walking towards the cafeteria to get dinner before going to their quarters. Spock had something—Khan wasn't sure what—and then his anger had exploded out of him. He had roughly shouldered past Meira, throwing her into a wall, as he lunged forward for the Vulcan's throat.

Roaring, Khan punched him in the face. Spock responded to kicking Khan's legs out from under him but he jumped gracefully to his feet seconds later and threw himself at the Vulcan, tackling him around his middle. The two crumbled to the ground and Khan hastily pinned the other's hands beneath his knees as he punched him over and over again in the face.

And then Spock was toppling him backwards and rising up to his feet, his fist jumping back to ready itself for a punch. Kirk came running around the corner, screaming angrily, and Meira scrambled away from the two writhing bodies.

"STOP! THAT'S AN ORDER!" Kirk yells but neither of them was listening.

 **…**

In the end, it had taken three dozen security officers to pry them apart. Khan was sent promptly to the brig where he sulked for the rest of the, and Spock got time-out in his quarters until tomorrow's shift. Meira was no more distant than ever and Khan blamed his own rashness. For two more days, Khan would be confined to his quarters while the Vulcan was free to roam. It wasn't fair!

"I'm sorry," He finally grits out as Meira walks past his door to head to the Cafeteria for dinner. "I shouldn't have done that the other day."

"Why did you?" She stops and he frowns at her question, his eyes narrowing in frustration. He couldn't make himself form the words to express what it was he was feeling.

"I was angry." He said vaguely and she nods in understanding.

"Maybe a stress ball would be in order?" She suggests. "Or you could get, like, fifty thousand cats."

"Oh, yes, and be forever alone. Sound riveting." He yawns to emphasize his sarcasm and to his astonishment, she laughs at his joke. Any ill feelings he had harbored against the commander faded away instantly.

"Oh, yes. You can wear matching outfits and everything," She rolls her eyes and smiles, and he finds himself mirroring the action. "So, what do think is for dinner?"

He considers her question carefully before answering honestly: "It would most likely turn out to be some variation of meatloaf."

She wrinkles her nose at him in disgust, "In that case, I'm skipping."

"A wise plan and one that would probably save your life."

"Would you mind if I replicated something in our quarters, then? It may be the safer—and tastier—option."

"So long as you don't have any cats on you." He steps aside to allow her to enter.

She makes herself replicated rotisserie chicken, white rice, and a roll before moving out of the way and sitting at their small table, waiting for him to sit down with his meal (Chinese) before eating. They eat in comfortable silence.

"Are you angry at me?" Khan asks finally. "For scaring you yesterday?" He clarifies when she doesn't respond. She swallows the food in her mouth and shakes her head wordlessly.

"You didn't attack me," She shrugs. "I have no reason to be angry at you."

"But you no longer trust me," He states.

"You went off on that Vulcan," Khan is pleased about her choice of words. 'That Vulcan'. So, they weren't friends after all. "For nothing. He did nothing to you and tried to rip out his throat. It doesn't seem like a wise idea to stand too close for too long."

It was cruelly logical.

"I have no intentions of harming you." Khan says evenly. "Spock and I are enemies and will always be as such. I attacked him because I was angry at him."

"And if you get angry at me?"

"I am very good at controlling my actions."

"You slipped up earlier."

"I did." Khan admits and shame at losing control ignites his belly. "It may be the lack of physical stimulation. I will visit the ship's gym tomorrow, which should help immensely."

"You do that. It'll give me some more me time."

"'Me time'?" Khan raises an eyebrow at her and she deposits her dishes in the waste dispenser and then plops down onto her bed after snagging his pillow off of his. "And what, pray tell, is a 'me time'?"

"It's that the allotted amount of time I have to find a way to push your bed—and _all_ of your belongings into the hallway—therefor claiming the entire room for myself. All I need is a flag and something to stab it into. Would you mind if I impaled your pillow or would that not be morally acceptable?"

A laugh escapes him despite his best efforts and his eyes glitter mischievously. "Try it, but be warned: the pillow shall be avenged."

"I accept your challenge." She tosses his pillow at his head and he catches it easily before it makes contact.

And then they're battling. Khan is careful to hold back on his strength and he hits her lightly with his pillow. She retaliates immediately. They go into a whirlwind of motion. Khan trips her and she sprawls onto his bed, quickly rolls off, and brings he pillow up by her head to ward off the oncoming attack, but Khan merely hits her lightly in the stomach. Giggling, she twists away, aiming a shot at his chest, which he lithely evades. Laughing, they size up the other and then jump back into action until feathers begin the fill the air. Khan traps her in a corner of the room and then proceeds to pour about half of the feathers still in his pillow case onto her head. She squeals and tries to get away but he blocks her easily with his body.

And then they're standing nose to nose. His blue eyes staring into her murky green. He takes a step back quickly and grins.

"Goodnight, Meira." He says. He pulls a spare pillow out from under his bed and then orders the lights off.

She doesn't move.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for taking forever to update. I have just discovered the wonderful world of Archive Of Our Own and (may have been) reading some other Khan fanfics. Well, there's some fluff (I think it's called 'fluff' anyway) up ahead. Enjoy.**

 **Chapter 15**

It turned out, she wasn't joking when she said she was going to shove all his belongings outside the room. He returned from lunch to find his bed in the hallway and his clothes piled neatly on top of it. Frowning he entered their dorm only to find it looking exactly the same as it had before, save for his missing things.

 _She was quite odd. Even for a human._

Sighing, he easily moved everything back in and then proceeded to hunt Meira down. In truth, he was more amused at her daring than angry, but that didn't mean that he could just let something like that slide. Respect was important and she would be wise not to forget that in the future.

Then he hears it: a ball bouncing. _So, she was in the gym, was she? Strange. She did not seem to be one for intense physical exercise._ Perhaps, he had judged her wrong.

He stands in the doorway to the gym and watches the scene.

She was alone. **Painfully** , alone. His heart wrenches in his chest a little at the realization. No matter who she talked to, she always kept herself distant from others, and shied away from attention whenever possible. Alone. Like him. Quickly, he swallows down the flood of empathy threatening to boil over and hardens his gaze.

It doesn't matter.

 _Bong!_

The basketball flies out of her hands and bounces off the headboard. Again and again she throws the ball in an attempt to get it into the hoop, but every throw misses just as badly as the last. Finally, it hits the wall, smacks her in the head (Khan grins at that), and rolls to the Augment's feet. Gracefully, he scoops it up and tosses it into the air.

It hits nothing but the net.

Meira narrows her eyes at him in mock scrutiny: "You're mocking me, aren't you?"

"That," Khan says evenly, "Is highly possible."

The ball rolls back towards him. Quickly, he plucks it off the ground and tosses it lightly at her head. She bats it higher into the air and catches it, nearly falling to the ground in the process.

"You're not very coordinated." Khan muses and she chucks the ball at him—hard. Easily, he catches it and throws it back into the basketball net. "Want to play a game?"

"No." The answer comes fast. Too fast.

"Why?" A corner of his lips quirks upwards into a cynical half smile. "Scared of losing?"

"Are you?" The response is immediate, and though she looks surprised by her answer, she doesn't refute it.

She grabs the ball before he can and he runs after her like a wolf hunting a deer. She fast and agile. What she lacks in accuracy, she more than makes up for in speed. This of course, doesn't stop him from running into her, throwing her to the ground, and snatching the ball away. It swishes expertly into the net just as she rises to her knees.

She glares at him and he shrugs.

"Perhaps you should be more careful so as to not trip." He says, fighting back another smile. Her glare gets colder.

"That's cheating." She accuses as she hops to her feet, favoring her left leg slightly. He steps closer until he towers over her, his nose mere centimeters from hers.

It was petty and childish, he knew, but that didn't stop him from issuing the challenge nevertheless: "Prove it."

For hours they wrestle for the ball before finally calling it a night. To Khan's pleasure, Meira hadn't even scored a single point. _How had she ever survive this long with her level (or lack thereof) of coordination_ , Khan wondered on the way back to their quarters. Before Meira can collapse onto her bed, Khan rips her pillow in half.

"What was that for?" She asks and he shrugs.

"You know what you did." He says before lying down on his back on his bed and closing his eyes, feigning sleep. It wasn't the punishment he had intended for her taking his belongings out of the room, but it would suffice. After all, after a loss such as the one she experienced in their game of basketball earlier (50-0), she deserved a little bit of a break.

"Jerk," She muttered under her breath.

"You do realize that there are at least thirty ways I could kill you without even crossing the room?" He asks without opening his eyes.

Part of him expects her to throw something at him but the pain never comes. _Odd._ He cracks open an eye. Never moving his head, he glances over at her out of the corner of his eye expecting to see her finally giving in to defeat.

Only…she wasn't there.

 _That can't be right._ Surely he would have heard her move.

Khan sits up instantly. _Where could she have gone?_ The door didn't open, of that much he was certain. Or was he? Had he fallen sleep by accident, allowing her to slip away unnoticed…? Was she back in the gym attempting to get that stupid ball to fall through the hoop or had she gone somewhere else?

Then he sniffs the air experimentally.

It was crisp—clean—with a slight taste of water.

 _Wait…water?!_

 _Where was the scent of water coming from?_

He tilts his head to the side trying to identify the location of the scent. It was…on his head!? The ice cold liquid rushes down his face and plasters his shirt to his skin. It bites his face and runs its claws through his thick, dark hair. Despite himself, he jump in surprise and spins around angrily.

And there was the missing girl caught red handed with an empty bowl that had moment before held about a liter or so of water. Blue eyes glare accusingly at Meira but she looks unfazed.

"I was only trying to help." She shrugs slightly and feigns innocence but Khan can see that she's biting back a smile.

"Were you now?" He growled.

"Your face looked dirty. I figured I'd help out. You're welcome."

With that, she puts the bowl on his head like a battle helmet and crawls into her bed and lies down with her back to him. Khan is stunned into immobility. Never before had anyone been this brave—or stupid—to dare challenge him like this. His temporary paralysis does not last for long.

Moments later, Khan is on his feet and catching trapping Meira in her blanket like a hare in a net. He doesn't even bother with an explanation. Unceremoniously, he tosses her into the sonic shower and turns it on COLD. She gives a shriek and tries to scramble out but the blanket catches around her legs, making her trip. Khan catches her by the arm to prevent injury but doesn't allow her to escape the chilly spray. In his quest to get revenge, Khan finds himself getting soaked to the bone simply trying to contain Meira. Satisfied (and freezing), he deposits her outside in the hall and locks the door behind him.

Her indignant yell and frantic pounding on the door is the lullaby that whisks him off to sleep.

The next day, Kirk lectures him on roommate etiquette, but in all fairness, Khan had thought, tuning the other man out, she had deserved it. Khan nods at the appropriate times until, finally, Kirk slinks away to the bridge. With a satisfied smirk, Khan stalks off to do his duties.

"Sleep well?" He can't help but ask when he spots Meira.

"Jump off a cliff," She shoots back.

"Ladies first, my dear."


	16. Chapter 16

**Some hurt/comfort in this one. The other chapters were a little light so, I figured I'd try my best to make a few of you cry. I'm an awful human being.**

 **Chapter 16**

"From now on, I have other duties to attend to," Spock says evenly. "I trust you two will continue to work as efficiently in my absence?"

"Sure." Meira shrugs disinterestedly. "We'll be fine."

Spock analyzed her answer for a moment and then looks at Khan for confirmation.

"As she said," Khan says. "I trust you will give the Captain my best?" He can't help adding at the end. Spock had yet to forgive Khan for technically killing his dear friend, and Khan loved to throw it back in the man's face so that he could watch as a flicker of rage would take over the otherwise composed features.

Spock's cool composure drops, but only for an instant. With a glare, the Vulcan leaves the room quickly. _For someone who felt something, he sure was emotional._

"You might want to be careful. He might just try to gut you one day." Meira warns him.

"Nothing would please me better than to see him try."

"So…what are we doing now?" Meira asks and Khan thinks for a moment.

"Technically, science is not limited to virology. I say we try out a new subject and leave creation vaccinations to the medical staff."

"And what do you have in mind?"

"Have you ever created a bomb before?" Khan says raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Shock ignites her features and Khan smiles triumphantly.

"You heard me," He purrs and a warm spark of satisfaction floods his chest at her obvious disbelief.

They would create low caliber bomb, nothing fancy. _After all, they were aiding in…Star Ship defense. Yeah, that could work._ So long as they were careful, neither the Captain or his Vulcan lap dog need ever find out about it. And he knew the perfect place to watch the explosion.

 **…**

"And this," Khan explains, "Is the detonator. Understand?"

"Yep. But why did we make a—"

"Research purposes," He cuts her off quickly.

"But what does have to do with—"

"Come." He orders, picking up their makeshift explosion.

"Where are you going?"

"We are going to test our work." He answers simply.

"And kill everybody on board?" Her incredulous whisper follows him.

"Just a few red shirts. No one important." He jokes with a straight face.

"Wonderful," she sighs but marches after him nevertheless. "You were joking, right? Everyone is going to be okay?"

"I suppose that we will find out, now won't we?"

"That's a crappy answer," She complains.

"Oh, stop your whining. We're nearly there."

They walk into a large, empty metal room and Khan looks around. Yes, this would do nicely.

"Ready?" Khan asks.

"Depends, are we going to die?"

Khan chuckles at her question: "No."

"Alrighty, then. Light it up, I guess." She concedes.

The explosion was marvelous. It was about five feet tall, four feet wide. It had set off the smoke detectors, drenching them—and everyone else on board—in flame retardant foam. But, oh, it had been worth it. Even the inevitable lecture from the precious Captain couldn't take away the swell of satisfaction Khan had gotten from finally blowing something up. To his surprise, Meira had also seemed to enjoy the experience.

Only now, they were banned from any circumstances to detonate anything within the ship.

Oh, well. There would be other things Khan could do to keep his mind busy, he was sure.

 **…**

It was the anniversary of the day Spock forced Khan to believe that his crew had exploded on the Vengeance. Angrily, Khan goes to the cafeteria to get his meal whereas Meira scurries to their dorm to hide from the ensuing fallout that was sure to come.

"So." Khan slams his tray down on the table in front of Spock and sits down in front of the Vulcan. "How long exactly was your Captain dead before he was able to be revived? An hour? A day?"

"Whatever it is you plan on accomplishing, I will not be goaded into another fight, Mr. Singh." Spock says in a tight, clipped tone.

"What was it like to watch you friend die, Mr. Spock?" Khan growls mercilessly. "How did it feel to finally come face to face with emotions or the realization that someone could rip apart one of the few things you truly cared about?"

"I apologize for my deceiving you about you people's death but at the time, it was a necessary action to ensure the survival of the Enterprises crew." Spock's composure begins to crumble slowly. He was close, Khan knew, to combusting just like the bomb from earlier.

 _And yet_ , Khan thinks. _I still want you to pay._

 _Dearly._

"Perhaps," Khan says softly as he leans in close in an attempt to intimidate the other. "But you will _never_ be forgiven, and if you had not captured me, you would have never seen your _precious little friend_ again, now would you?"

He wants nothing more than to punch the man and to keep punching until Spock felt as broken as he was feeling and he wasn't even sure why he was feeling this way: frustrated, alone, enraged. It had festered all morning, at the back of his mind, before boiling over at dinner. And here he was, contemplating homicide in the nearly empty cafeteria.

 _But it just wasn't fair! Kirk had been the one to betray me, but it was my family that took the punishment. Kirk lived, being hailed as a hero whereas my crew is still trapped in Cryosleep…at the mercy of monsters._

Spock wisely says nothing. His silence was probably the only thing that saved his life.

"Had it been up to me, you _all_ would have perished that day. Starting with the Marcus's and your dear Captain." Khan rises and stalks away angrily. He had not eaten a single bite.

That night, he broods after taking his shower.

"Bad day?" Meira asks.

"What ever gave you that idea?" Khan stalks over to the replicator and replicates some rice to eat.

Meira raises an eyebrow at him but to her credit, she doesn't question him about it.

"It wasn't your fault," She says after a while and Khan freezes mid-chew.

"What makes you think I blame myself?" Khan snaps angrily.

He clenches the bowl so hard, it shatters in his hands, sending rice and porcelain all over the floor. His palm is cut and bleeding, the droplets looking like scarlet rose petals. Khan wasn't even aware that Meira had moved. One minute she was sitting on her bed, the next she was pressing a towel onto his wounded hands and holding the pressure.

"Because I know that look." Her answer is barely audible.

A single tear slips down his face and is quickly followed by another. Then another.

Then, he's shuddering and gasping for breath as the sorrow takes hold. He falls back against his bed and clutches Meira to his chest like a lifeline. She tenses every muscle in her body but makes no move to get away.

"It's alright," She whispers. "It wasn't your fault. It's not your fault…"

 **…**

The night hides his shame. Meira is sleeping in her own bed and Khan curses himself at showing weakness.

Tears. Tears were for weaklings. For beings that didn't deserve to live. Khan was a warrior, a killer, a monster. He didn't cry.

But he had.

Because, no matter how strong or cruel he was, he was just as weak a human. No matter what he did, his heart always betrayed him.

"If you start sniveling, I will end you," Meira threatens sleepily and despite the turmoil within, he feels himself smirk.

"Try it."

 **Well, at least this chapter had a happy-ish ending, right?**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Khan is out the door long before he usually is. The hallways are deserted and he walks through them unbothered. His feet take him to the gym and then he's running lap after lap around the room. His lungs take in the necessary amount of oxygen and for the first time in his life, Khan wishes he were a human so that he could feel his energy drain away to nothing and have exhaustion sweep him off his feet. He wants to feel his lungs catch fire and burn as he struggles to catch his breath and feel his feet wobble uncertainly beneath him as exhaustion beckons him into the blissful nothingness of sleep.

But he is not human.

For hours he runs but he feels no less tired than when he had first entered the room. The only thing that changed was a slightly quickening heart rate…but now that he had stopped it was rapidly slowing down to its normal rate. Clenching and unclenching his fists, Khan drives himself back into a wild sprint around the room. He just had to move. He had to move and forget memory. The memory of the explosions when he had thought every last person he had loved was murdered…and he had been powerless to stop it.

Him! Powerless!

But it had happened. Like a fool, he had allowed that manipulative Vulcan to trick him…but they were alive. Or so Star Fleet claims…and who knew if they were telling the truth? Marcus was just as manipulative as he, just as cruel. Savage.

And yet, the older man had escaped punishment and just like his days of slavery to the old admiral, Khan was the one who had _once again_ drawn the short straw.

Don't think about that. Run. Run faster. Faster! He increased his speed as he tried desperately to outrun the metallic screams of his people as he clings desperately to the hope that _somehow_ , Spock wasn't as cruel as he.

 _Somehow_ , they were alive.

Safe.

If only for a while.

More hours drag by until, finally, the exertion steals his strength. Panting, Khan doubles over to catch his breath before walking slowly back down the empty halls to his room.

He showers with his mind on autopilot before collapsing soundlessly onto his bed. Across from him, Meira sleeps, oblivious to the turmoil ripping him apart. She breathes evenly in and out and Khan watches the movement silently. He rests his head on the cook of his arm, his blue eyes intently staring at his slumbering companion.

He didn't know when slumber had come to claim him. He merely knew that he was trapped in another one of his nightmares.

 _The hull screaming as it was ripped open by the unforgiving teeth like buildings of San Francisco. He had ran, blinded by rage and sorrow, his vision turning red as he fled for his life, the vow for revenge burning hot in his heart. Their faces, all 72 of them, flashing in his mind…never to be seen again. Agony, unrelenting agony ripping apart his soul as he was strapped down. Gallons of blood were stolen from his veins as they fought so hard to save their precious little Captain, but no one giving a thought to the innocent lives his second in command had just ended…_

SMACK!

Something hits him hard on the head, jarring him awake. Heart pounding, his sharp eyes scan the room for the culprit only to see Meira frowning at him sleepily.

"What?" He demands.

"Stop screaming. It's just a dream."

Screaming?! He had not been…oh, what did it matter?

Snorting, indignantly, Khan turns on his side and faces away from her eyes—eyes that see too much.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks for a minute.

He sighs and screws his eyes shut tightly. He would not dignify her question with a response. No! No he didn't want to talk about it! He didn't want to feel these emotions let alone admit that they were there or how they came to be!

"Khan?" Her voice is soft in the darkness, a gently light beaconing him to safety in a chaotic and dangerous world. "Are you alright?" Genuine concern paints her voice, a stark contrast to the cruel indifference of so many others. It was…comforting.

Somehow.

"What?" His voice comes out as a rage filled roar, far louder and more raw than he had intended. He felt rather than saw her flinch visible and the room descended into silence once more.

The minutes tick by with both of them scarcely breathing as Meira waits for Khan to calm.

He speaks first: "I'm sorry."

He shouldn't have yelled. Shouldn't have allowed his emotions to get the best of him. He was, after all, better—superior. Yelling changed nothing. Raging against the unfairness of the situation would hardly make it better, and taking it out on Meira—someone who hadn't even been there when the event had occurred—was unfair.

"I've handled worse." Her forgiveness was a healing balm to his tortured spirit and he felt the suffocating weight of guilt, and shame, and worry lift off his shoulders a little. "You should have seen what happened in the lightning storm four years ago. Trust me, I prefer your bark to that bite."

Her pun makes his lips twitch slightly in response.

"And what happened?" He asked, his voice thick with unshed tears.

And she told him. He listened as she described the event, her voice calm and low. The tone of her voice helped him relax and the story was a welcome distraction.

"Do you miss them?" Khan asks when she finishes. "Do you miss your family?"

"Yeah." Now it was her turn to be sad. "But it's not so bad."

"Why?" Desperation drives him to ask. What was it that helped? That made the pain fade at least a little bit?

"Because. We have the stars. We used to look them every night and point out this one or that. We said…if we ever got separated…we'd just look up at the stars every night and…we'd be together again. We wouldn't be so alone because we would all be seeing the same thing and have hope."

"Hope." Khan repeats the word.

Hope was for fools—for the weak. Hope was an elusive ideal that never failed to fail him. He had hoped to save his family but twelve had been killed in cryostatis under Marcus' order. He had hoped to escape Star Fleet, and here he was, right under their oppressive thumb once more.

 _Hope._

Hope was _nothing_. Hope was the mirage of water in the desert that vanished just as you got close enough to put you sun cracked hand into the nonexistent liquid. It was real enough to be felt but never came to fruition.

…But he could try it once more. He could hope to be reunited with his family and pray that this time he would be proven wrong…that they would see one another again despite the odds.

"Do you feel better now?"

"Yes." His words are barely louder than a breath of air but he can feel her nod. "Why do care? Why do you care if I am upset?"

"Because I'd prefer to have a heads up if you're about to throw your bedframe across the room and in my general direction." She states simply and again he finds himself smiling.

"You've got nothing to worry about: I was planning on throwing sink across the room."

"I think it's time I changed roommates," she complains jokingly and Khan laughs.

"A wise endeavor," He concedes. "But a useless one."

"Because of the lack of space?" She yawns.

"And the fact that we are currently working together." Khan adds as he rolls back over, catching her in his intense gaze.

"Right. There's that, too." She shifts slightly.

"If you throw that pillow, the event with the shower shall be repeated." Khan warns. "And this time, shall be far more severe." He can feel her pause as she considered her options before relaxing once more. "A wise choice," Khan praises.

"Don't make me hurt you."

"I highly doubt that you could."

She narrows her eyes suspiciously: "Is that a challenge, old man?"

"Do you want it to be?" Khan tilts his head to side as he watches her.

"Go back to sleep," She sighs and closes his eyes.

"Or you'll what? Ground me?" He taunts. The pillow hits him in the head. Minutes later, he's dragging her fully clothed back under the icy spray of the sonic shower and then locking her back outside.

"Next time, I'm _burning_ your things." She shivers violently outside the door.

"And yet, I'm perfectly dry under my warm blankets…"

"Let me back in!"

"Let me back in…" He prompts. "And what do you say?"

"I'm not saying it." She kicks the door irritably but Khan knows that she won't be able to enter the room until he allows her.

"Do it. I won't laugh. Promise." He taunts.

"No."

"Aw, come now. It's only two words. I have faith in you, little one." He crossed his arms behind his head and propts his feet up on his pillow as he stares at the ceiling.

"Is that a short joke?!" She pounds loudly on the door but still it doesn't yield. "Khan! This isn't funny!"

He had been right when he had bought her at that market all that time ago: she was amusing, a welcoming distraction from the monotony of every day life.

"In all fairness, I did warn you." He arches his back, stretching out his muscles before relaxing contently into the hard, standard-issue mattress.

"Jerk."

"This is going to be a long night for you. Apologize, and you can come back in."

"You're the one who needs to apologize!"

They argue like this for a while before she finally gives in. Triumphantly, Khan hops back to his feet and allows her in. Meira, who hates physical contact, gives him a tight hug around his middle. He yelp in surprise as the icy water soaks through to his clothing and he pushes her away, careful not to harm her.

"Revenge sucks, yeah?" She asks as she grabs a new change of clothes and darts into the bathroom before he can retaliate.

 _Alright, fine. You can win this round._

 _But the next one is_ **mine.**

 **I hoped you liked it. Please review.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Finally! An away mission! Khan nearly jumps into the air with excitement when Kirk called him and Meira into the conference room.

"Alright, everyone. You're all here because of your unique talents. We're doing a survey tomorrow on an uncharted planet, and all of you are coming along."

Four red shirts for security, five science officers, a communications officer, Kirk, Khan, and Meira.

"Meira, you're a field medic right?"

"Yeah…" She answered and Khan shoots her a surprised look. Field medic? Since when? She had said that she was a hacker! "What? I have a lot of talents." She whispers defensively.

"Humility, apparently, is not one of them." Khan whispers back.

"One could say the same about you," She retorts.

"Hey, guys." Kirk gives them a stern look. "Anything you would like to share?"

Khan scowls, "No."

"Alright. Then pay attention. What was I saying? Oh, right. We'll land somewhere around here. And then go on to explore this area here and take samples…"

Bored, Khan nudges Meira and then nods towards a security officer picking his nose. Meira snots to hide a laugh and quickly hides her smile behind her hand. Warmth floods Khan's body at her reaction. They were finally getting along and enjoying the other's company. Who had ever thought that day would come? She had hated him with a passion and he had thought her nothing more than a plaything. How strange everything was now…

"So, everyone know what they're doing?" Kirk asks. The room murmurs a yes and then they're dismissed. "Not so fast."

Kirk rushes forward to grab Khan's sleeve. "I still need to talk to you two. Khan, you're to help with security. Meira, I need you to give medical aid if need be. Now, are you guys going to be alright working together or…?" Kirk raises an eyebrow.

"Why would we not be?" Khan asks calmly.

"Well, you just seemed a little distracted." Kirk shrugs. "If it's a problem—if you can't properly focus—I could make two different groups and put one of you in each one."

"That would not be necessary." Khan says stiffly and Kirk grins widely at the two of them.

"Alright. Just…be more mindful of your surroundings."

"Don't patronize, _Captain_ ," Khan warns. "I'm not one of your feeble underlings."

"Whatever. Go to supply and pick up your packs. We leave in two hours."

But the excursion, was doomed to fail, and, looking back, Khan could spot multiple harbingers of the tragedy to come…but hindsight was always twenty-twenty.

 **…**

They go eagerly into the shuttle. Khan and Meira find a place near one another and sit down in their seats with their packs sitting comfortably against their backs. They were laughing. Smiling. Oh, but how everything changed in a span of minutes.

Excitement turned to worry.

Worry bloomed into wild, primal terror.

Communications are the first to go. By now, they've just hit the atmosphere. The bright white planet gleams happily as it catches them in its death like grip. Soon, they are spiraling out of control. Kirk screams something about the fuel cells malfunctioning when the ship begins to explode and break apart. Meira screams, terrified, as her seat buckles and comes loose, but Khan moves fast. He unclips her from her chair and crushes her tightly against him as they spin and spin out of control.

His seat goes next. One minute the hard metal floor is pounding into his feet, the next, it's gone. He roars at the gravity sucks them away from the ship and away from the frantic crew. They crunch hard into the ice and Khan throws his arm forward to protect Meira from being crushed beneath his weight and that of the packs as they roll uncontrollable down a long, icy hill.

They crash into something hard that instantly stops their motion. Khan and Meira breathe heavily as they reign in their emotions and try to process what had happened.

"Are you alright?" Khan asked worriedly as he released Meira. She falls back in the snow but otherwise seemed unharmed.

"Yeah…I think so." She stands slowly and tests her weight. "What about you?"

"Fine." He was always fine. How could she not know that by now?

"Where are the others?" She asks and Khan frowns.

That…was a good question. Slowly, he looks around them. There was no spoke. No screaming voices. No people. There was nothing but ice and snow and mountains.

"We need to get to higher ground," But even as he says this, he knows that they are probably all dead. "It'll make it easier to see them."

If the snow weren't so thick, it would have been a viable option. It would have sensible. Instead, it was useless. They climbed for hours hoping against hope that the weather would clear but instead, it got worse. Before they could see several yards in front of them, now they couldn't see their own hands in front of their faces.

Meira grabs onto the back of Khan's long, black coat to keep them together.

"Come," Khan yells over the roaring wind. "We need to find shelter!"

It doesn't long to find a cave. Khan finds some vegetation within and gets to work on making a small fire for warmth; inwardly, he hoped that the others had found somewhere to weather to storm as well. He may not like Star Fleet, but he wouldn't wish a frozen death upon anyone…except maybe Marcus.

"What do we do now?" Meira asks, shivering into her jacket. Khan grabs her lightly and brings her closer to the fire to help warm her up.

"We wait," He says. "And look for the others as soon as we are able—when the storm dies down."

Had he been alone, he could have kept searching. Eventually, he was sure that he would have found one of the others…but Meira would not survive the frigid temperatures and he couldn't risk leaving her here alone left he get lost in the storm…or something attack her while he was away. He takes his coat off and wraps it around her before firmly pushing her down onto the cave floor.

"Sleep," he says simply before walking to the cave mouth and gazing out.

 _Where are you,_ he wonders. _Do_ any _of you still live?_

It's darker now as the fire begins to die. Meira shivers and curls tighter into the jacket. Khan sighs and glances into his pack. There was a thin blanket that had been put in there for him. Quickly, he goes over and finds another on in Meira's. After stoking the flames and throwing more alien vegetation into the dying fire, Khan carefully puts the blankets on top of Meira and then crawls in beside her to lend her some of his body heat.

Dread fills his stomach as he watches the fire cackle and die. They had run out of vegetation. Hopefully, they wouldn't freeze to death during the night. The cold nips at him. Shivering, he curls closer to Meira and wills himself into a state of semi-consciousness where he could rest but remain alert should a predator try to attack them during what he assumed was 'night'.

Tomorrow, he hoped would be better.

But it wouldn't be.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

The morning comes and Khan shifts his weight as he sits up, pulling one of the thin, gray blankets off of Meira. She whines in her sleep and snuggles closer him for warmth. Khan smiles softly at the woman before covering her back up and rising gracefully to his feet.

The snow has slowed. Somewhat. Yet, he knows the other's chances of survival are slim at best. Slowly, careful not to disturb his sleeping companion, Khan eases himself away and walks noiselessly to the cave entrance to look for any sign of life.

Nothing.

Not even smoke.

He thinks for a minute. Nothing had tried to attack them while they lay weak and vulnerable on the ground. It was highly likely that there were no living organisms on this planet much less anything that could powerful enough to pose a significant threat—not with this extreme weather. Or, so he hoped.

"Meira," he says softly, walking back over to her. "Meira, I'm going to look for the others."

She hums in response.

"I'll be back soon. Just stay here."

She nods tiredly and Khan smiles softly before reclaiming his coat and venturing out into the frozen wasteland. The snow crunches loudly with every step that he takes as he makes painstaking progress towards some wreckage: two chairs, part of the floor, all four security officers dead. Khan frowns and nudges one of the bodies with the toe of his boot to get a better look at its neck.

There were claw marks.

Perhaps they weren't so alone after all.

Quickly, he straightens up and scans the nearby area. Mountains. Wiry, grey vegetation. Ice…and…what was that? A station of some kind? Khan frowns and scrutinizes the mountain more closely. Near the peak, the mountain met another. In the cleft where they joined, was a large black building. Shelter. If they could reach that structure, they could call for help and tell the Enterprise about the others who were missing.

He runs back to the cave and rips the blankets of Meira and beings to quickly fold them up and put them into their own respective packs. She bolts up to a sitting position and shivers.

"Get up. Quickly. We need to move." Khan orders firmly but she just blinks at him in confusion. "Now!" He growls.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" She asks, standing slowly.

"I may have a found a way out of this place. Grab your back. We must lleave now and cover as much ground as we can before night comes again." He paces the room to make sure that they left none of their vital supplies behind before turning back to her. "Are you ready?" He asks briskly.

"Sure?" She yawns and he grabs her forearm, dragging her outside with him.

"Quickly." He orders. "We must move faster."

"What about the others?" She asks as he forces her into a run, his grip not loosening.

"Most likely dead. The temperatures were too cold for anyone to have survived without some sort of shelter." He leaves out the part about the mysterious creature that had killed the security officer. "If any of them still live, you would probably be going to the station as well." If they weren't eaten first, that is.

"Station? What station?"

"There," he points and she follows his finger.

"Who do you think made it?"

Who indeed? The planet was uncharted, unexplored. Who could have possibly come here to make it?

"Section 31, perhaps." He muses. "But it doesn't matter. There may be food there, and heat, and communications devices…perhaps even a small ship."

"And if there's not?" She asks, voicing his unsaid doubts.

"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it," he says simply. "There's no use worrying over something that may not occur—it would be a waste of energy."

She nods at his words. "You know, you can let do now. I'm perfectly capable of walking."

She tugs at the arm he holds hostage, and he relents reluctantly. They've reached the base of the mountain. There was no trial for them to follow and the large, ice coated boulders covering the surface would make it difficult to climb…but he'd endured worse.

"I'll climb up and pull you up after me. Understand?" He peers into her eyes and she nods.

"Knock yourself out."

She grins nervously and then glances at the mountain side. Khan looks as well. They had a long way to go before reaching their target destination. He crawls easily onto a boulder that stops at his shoulders and then holds his palm out the Meira. She grabs uncertainly and pulls herself up.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," she tries to joke and Khan raises an eyebrow at her.

"We've only just begun," And then he begins to climb, leaving her to follow after him.

 **…**

They arrive long after night has fallen. As before the wind picks up, throwing snow and ice into their eyes, thus limiting visibility. Khan's hand holds tightly to Meira's arm as they trudge on wearily. Not once have they stopped and by now the exertion is beginning to take its toll, even on him.

"We're nearly there," he calls loudly in encouragement.

"What makes you think that?" She asks.

"I can see it. It's not far now. Just a few more meters." _A few meters_ , he mind mocks. _With the snow hugging tightly to your legs and fight with the wind that is trying desperately to throw you into the air? It was as well be a few more miles._

And then, they make it. Khan allows Meira and to lean tiredly against the wall while he forces the door open. Quickly, he scoops her lightly into his arms and takes the both of them inside before closing the door behind them firmly with his foot. A thin layer of dust covers all of the furniture but in short, it looked functional enough to suit their needs. Khan sets Meira down on what appears to be a couch and quickly turns the power on. The generators whine and squeal, but the lights flicker on after too long.

"How do you feel?" Khan asks. "Are you injured?"

"I'm fine, thanks." She yawns and rummages through her pack and tosses some food at him. "Hungry?" She pulls out a protein bar for herself.

They eat in silence.

"How long do you think someone like me could last in a place like this?" Meira asks and Khan thinks for a minute.

"Not long," he says after a while. "But it's possible at least some of the others have made it. It's a small possibility, mind you, but possible nevertheless."

"Alright." She yawns. "So, bedtime?" She asks, yawning again.

"Bedtime," he agrees. "Stay here. I'm going to make sure it's safe first."

"There is dust on everything. I'm pretty sure that's a good indication that we're alone." She points out.

"Even so." He turns and wanders down the corridors.

The station was a huge abandoned section 31 station that could easily house over two hundred people. The replicators were up to date though the communications room had been ransacked. No matter. He could fix that tomorrow. The heating unit was also broken, but they could use their combined body heat once more to stay warm. There were no monsters lurking in the shadows, no beast waiting to devour them, and bathroom with actual tubs.

Yes, this would do quite nicely.

"All safe," he announces, wandering back to Meira.

"Told you," She mutters as he helps her into the nearest bed and then curling in bedside her. "Goodnight," She yawns rolling so that she faces away from him.

"Sleep well," he replies closing his eyes.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

He awake to find the bed empty. Quickly, remembering the bowl incident, he whips around to glare at the space behind him…but she wasn't there either. Twice now his superior senses have failed to realize that she had snuck away. He must be getting soft in his old age. A small explosion has him on his feet instantly and running towards the kitchen.

"Meira?! Meira!" He yells.

"Sorry!" She calls back in response. "The stove didn't want to cooperate." She smiles nervously when he finds her, covered in soot and ash in the kitchen.

"So you made it explode? That's a tactic not even I would use." He says as he carefully steps over a broken glass. "Are you injured?"

"No, just dirty." She says and he frowns as he surveys the room. Besides the stove and the broken glass, nothing else seemed damage.

"What were you trying to do?" He asks curiously, tilting his head to the side as he moves to tower over her. She was so small, so feeble. How could one so weak create such havoc?

"Warm the place up, what else? It's freezing in here!" She says and he smirks.

"Oh, poor little princess," he says mockingly, stroking her check with this deadly fingers. "That sounds _so_ dreadful. How did you ever survive in such hardship?" he shoots her a predatory smile.

"Oh, who asked you?"

She shoves him irritably and he allows himself to take a step backwards to help appease her quick burst of adorable anger. He rolls his eyes and allows his face to become neutral once more though he can feel his eyes laughing at her still.

"Here, you take a bath; I'll clean up the kitchen."

"What the catch?" She asks suspiciously.

"You make a sandwich when you're finished." He fights back a smile and he can see her considering whether or not to punch him in the face.

"Make your own sandwich," She shoots over her shoulder as she walks away. He waits for her to disappear into the bathroom before allowing his chuckle to escape his chest.

 **…**

After the kitchen is functional once more, he gets to work on the communications room. Much of the equipment had been damaged and wires were sticking out of the walls. Someone had stripped with room quickly, breaking whatever they could in a big hurry. _Why? What where they afraid would be found?_

As he works on that he can hear Meira trying—and failing—to fix the heater, but at least she wasn't breaking it more. The attempt was…adorable to say the least. Ineffective… but adorable.

"How is it going in there?" He yells, knowing that it will irritate her. "Any progress?"

"Shut up!" She yells back.

 _Cheeky little spitfire,_ he thinks.

"Do you need help?" He tries again, adding insult to injury. He knew that she could be just as stubborn as he was and would insist on doing the job herself rather than to let him assist her and run it in later.

"No!" She shouts back.

"It would really be trouble at all," He continues.

He knew he had nothing to fear from Meira. She was no real threat to him and her childish pranks seemed to be the worse she had to offer thus far. If she wanted to get physical, he could easily overpower her…or let her burn herself out like Kirk had when he was punching Khan on Kronos.

"I've got it!" She yells, and he can hear the irritation creeping into her voice. "I can do it!"

"Are you sure?" He smiles evilly; he loved messing with people.

"Yep!"

"Alright. If you need anything…"

"I don't!"

 **…**

They still have no communications with the crew. Khan is at his wits end at fixing the stupid room. Meira had to go in there and drag him out by the arm (he allowed himself to be dragged) before he could rip the panels from the walls and thrown them into the door.

"Let's eat," she offers.

"Did you fix the heater?" He asks, inclining his head. She glares at him.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"It's alright. We can't all be amazing at everything. You'll get there…one day." He bites into a protein bar and bites back his disgust at the taste.

"Don't make me hurt you," She warns.

"Why? Are you going to dump water on my head…or will you make the stove explode again?"

"I don't know…" She says cautiously. She smacks him quickly upside the head and jumps away before he can retaliate.

"That," Khan says calmly as he slowly stalks towards her. She quickly backs towards the door, careful not to show him her back. She was smarter than she looked. "Was not a wise move."

And then she's running down the corridors with Khan racing at her heels. She spins around a corner, losing speed and he takes the opportunity to catch up. His arm reaches ahead of him as his fingers seak out the fabric of her blue coat.

A primal scream erupts towards them. Meira jumps backwards and Khan hastily puts himself between her and the large alien creature stalking towards them. Its large claws click on the hard floor as it approaches and roars again.

"Meira?" Khan breaths.

"Yeah?" She cowers behind him and looks up at him with wide, green eyes; her long brown hair a mess on top of her head.

"Run!" Khan roars.

And then he's rushing the animal in a fight to death. It's thick, white fur softens his blows but not much. That must be why he hadn't seen it before. With its white fur, it would have been perfectly camouflaged to its surroundings. It rakes its sharp claws down his back and opens its mouth wide to bite him. Khan punches it hard in its soft throat and it crumbles to the ground. He kicks the beast savagely in its side, breaking several rips as its gleaming fangs meet his heel.

He falls to the ground and it towers over him. Khan's hands uselessly grip its neck to keep its teeth from sinking into his own, but it's useless. His hold is slipping on the loose, wrinkly skin. It surges forward powerful, its teeth just nipping the skin when phaser blasts throw it to the side.

Quickly Khan glances at his savior: Kirk. Where had he come from?

"You alright?" Kirk yells.

"Never better." Together the two of them kill the animal.

Kirk limps deeper into the room and looks around. Shivering, he holsters his phaser and looks at Khan: "Anyone else here?"

"Meira is in here somewhere. And the others?"

"I don't know. I slept in a den I dug myself in the snow and climbed up here about an hour ago. Took forever to find a way in."

"Your security officers are dead. I found their bodies yesterday."

Kirk nods slowly. "Have you been able to communicate with the Enterprise?"

"I'm working on that." Khan sighs inwardly. It was going to take forever to fix that room.

"Need help?" Kirk offers.

"From you?" Khan pretends to consider it for a moment. "No." He then stalks away.

"Wait! About this thing?" Kirk gestures to the creature. "What are we going to do with it?"

"It's dead, Captain. We're going to eat it. What else?" Khan says and he takes more satisfaction than is proper at the shade of green Kirk becomes.

 **Well, I can't just kill off poor Kirk. Who else would annoy Khan in Spock's absence? *evil smile***


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Despite the thick walls, the cold still creeps in. Khan works tirelessly on establishing communication, leaving the humans to their own devices in terms of entertainment. After a while, Meira gives up on attempting to fix the heater and sits patiently in the doorway, handing him tools that he needs.

"So," she says finally. "What was your home like?"

 _A strange question_. Khan raises an eyebrow at her. _What does it matter?_

"Home?" He asks dumbly. "What do you mean?"

"You know, the place where you live with your family? Where you felt safe and all that jazz, I guess."

"I never had one." He says in a bored voice.

"Ever?"

"No."

"Well, what was the place that was _closest_ to a home? What was that like?" She asks him curiously.

"Do you know what I am?" He questions her in an even tone. He had told her that his name was Khan…but did she know that he was an Augment? Or was this some kind of cruel joke?

"You're 'Khan'. Why?" She gives him a weird look.

"Khan _what_?" he presses and she shrugs.

"I don't know. I thought that was your last name. Who cares?" She continues to look at him strangely.

He sighs and looks back to his work. Only two panels needed to be rewired now and would, hopefully, work to get them out of the nightmare Kirk graced with calling a planet.

"The last place I considered home was a in palace India." He decides to answer her previous question. Why bring up his blood soaked past when he could avoid it? "It was very nice. I had…" He wanted to say ' _servants'_ but knew that she wouldn't care for the phrasing. "People who worked for me," he said carefully. "It was very large. Very grand. There were feasts and banquets. My family and I played sports and talked politics. Normal family things, I suppose. It was a good time. We were safe and well off, as were our allies..."

"Why did you leave? Why not stay?" Her voice sounds sad, but why would she care about the life he had been robbed of?

"Because it was no longer possible to do so." His strict tone that left no room for argument. His own subjects had turned on him, forcing him and the other Augments to flee for their lives. Anger boils in the put of his stomach but he pushes it down effortlessly.

"And you?" He picks up a screwdriver and crawls beneath the panel. "What was your home like?" His silky voice echoes to her.

"We moved a lot and didn't really stay in one place for long," Khan can practically feel her shrug. "We used to live in England, though. We had moved there when I was ten and then left when I was fifteen. It was longest I had ever stayed anywhere. I had made a friend, her name was Cassie—I called her 'Cas'. She was the one who taught me how to code…er… _hack_ ," she makes the correction quickly.

"Why did you leave?" Curiosity gets the best of him. "Why move so often?"

"It was time to go. We always moved often. My dad had people who were…not particularly fond of his existence. It was better to stay in a place for a short while and then take off again."

There were so many secrets about the man who had rescued him from the clutches of Admiral Marcus. Why did he have so many enemies? Were any of them in Star Fleet? If so, how did he ever enter to facility to save Khan? He shakes his hide, mentally throwing the questions aside. Who cared? What's done is done.

"Did you like it there?" He tightens a bolt and then shifts to put himself closer to the wiring while she contemplates his question.

"It was nice. Quiet. We made forts in the forest and played in the meadows. I went to school for the first time; that was certainly strange. I had liked it there, at least, until winter came."

"Too cold?" Khan narrows his eyes at a loose screw before tightening it.

"It was awful! You don't know, man. You don't know." She repeats and he chuckles. "It was so cold, you _bones_ hurt; it was crazy."

"I've seen cold. _Trust me_ , England is nothing." _Especially compared to Cryosleep._ "Do you ever miss it? England?"

"I miss some things. I miss my friends, but that's about it. It didn't end well when I left. It was better to just leave and forget about it. I'm going to try to cook dinner," she changes topics a little too quickly. "Any requests?"

"Alien kabobs." He smirks.

"If you want to eat that thing, then _you're_ going to have to gut and skin it. _I'm_ putting on soup."

"Whatever." Khan rolls his eyes. _Everyone was a critic._

 **…**

"Any progress yet?" Kirk peeks his head into the room.

"Captain," Khan snarls. He has far less patience for the annoying man than for his odd companion. "When there is any change, I will inform you. Until then, I suggest you _leave_ and quit distracting me."

The look Khan shoots Kirk is absolutely murderous; needless to say, Kirk scurries away.

 _Imbecile._

 **…**

A bowl of soup slides across the floor and hits him in the knee.

"Eat and then bath, stinky," Meira orders sitting down in front of him with her own bowl.

"Or you'll what?" Khan lifts a spoonful to his mouth and savors the flavor, but his face remains unreadable. It was _far_ superior to their protein bars.

"I'm not telling. I can be mysterious _too_ , you know."

"Thats highly doubtful." Khan takes another bite and then another. A thought occurs him. "How old is this soup?"

"Trust me: it's better if you don't know." She says as she takes another bite.

"That isn't very encouraging." He complains and she shrugs.

"Sucks to be you then."

 **…**

"Help!" A feeble voice rouses Khan from sleep.

Slowly, he rolls away from Meira and crouches to where Kirk lies sleeping to steal the other man's phaser. He moves stealthily through the corridors and pauses at the window, risking a look outside. A pack of long-clawed creatures like the one Khan and Kirk had killed before surrounds someone in a blue science officer's uniform.

Khan quickly lights some small towels on fire and surges outside with his flaming arsenal. The creatures shriek and snarl, but instead of attacking, they rush quickly out of range and hiss at him angrily, flattening their short ears close to their bulky heads in discontentment.

"Inside," Khan orders. "Now!"

The man limps feebly inside and then falls face first in the snow. Disgusted, Khan hauls the man to his feet by the back of his shirt and throws him unceremoniously through the door before slamming it shut behind to two of them.

Kirk stumbles blearily into the room and looks around wildly.

"What's going on?" He yawns.

"A new survivor." Khan hauls the man over the couch and drops him like a sack of potatoes onto the dusty furniture. The man howls and holds his leg, wincing in pain. "Oh, shut up," Khan growls. "Stop being so dramatic. It's not even broken."

 _Why were humans so soft? So pathetic?_ Khan shakes his head and rips the man's pant leg open and then tears his boot off of his foot. It was a sprain. _Weakling._

"Hey, is that guy alright?" Meira frowns.

"I'm dying!" The stranger yells.

"Oh, shut up. You're fine." Khan rolls his eyes as Meira inspects the wounds.

"It's just a sprain, wimp. Suck it up," She says as she wraps his ankle up in a simple bandage.

"You guys are mean," The man pouts and Meira smiles in amusement.

"But we're not the ones crying over minor injuries," She says and Khan bites back a chuckle. Maybe they were spending a little too much time together. It seemed he was beginning to wear off on his mild manner friend.

 **…**

"What are you doing?" Meira demands as Khan drags her into a large, empty room the next morning.

"Practice." He says simply.

"For…?"

"Sparing." He closes the door behind them.

"Why?"

"Revenge. Remember when you hit me yesterday?"

"You were supposed to forget." She kicks him in the ankle but his hold doesn't loosen.

"Was I now?" He releases her and then walks in a slow, deliberate circle around her like a wolf cornering its prey.

He lunges forward and tries to grab her but she jumps quickly out of the way and moves behind him, kicking him hard in the back of the knee, but he doesn't fall. Surprised, he spins around and aims a light punch towards her head. Again, she dances away, evading his efforts.

"Do you surrender?" She smiles and he narrows his eyes irritably.

An idea hits him: "Yes."

He puts his hands up. Raising an eyebrow, she walks away, unwisely putting her back to him. He smiles a predatory smile: never turn your back to the enemy. In one fluid movement, he springs forward and tackles her to the ground.

"So," He asks silkily and she glares at him. "While we're on the topic of surrendering…"

 **Hope you guys liked it. Please review.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"We're never getting back to the Enterprise, are we? **"** Kirk whines and Khan glares at him.

"Please have some faith, _Captain_. Rome wasn't built in a day."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kirk exclaims and Khan closes his eyes in frustration before glaring at the captain once more.

"It means that I'm nearly finished. _Go away_ ," his lip curls in disdain.

"Fine, but if I die of boredom, it's on you."

"Keep talking and you won't be dying from _boredom_ , Captain."

"Well, aren't you just a breath of fresh air?" Kirk snorts before stomping down the hallway on the way to the kitchen.

"Is he always that dramatic?" Meira asks, poking her head in.

"Pretty much." Khan scrutinizes the panels and then flips a switch. The gears whirl within and some lights flicker on.

"What's happening?" Meira asks, taking a step into the room.

"Just watch," Khan's voice is calm but firm. "It's heating up."

"How old is it?" Another small step.

"Decades." He doesn't look away from the machine.

Inwardly, he wills the stupid contraption to work. Their food supplies were running low and their water was even lower. They had no way of testing the snow outside to see if it was compatible with systems without using Kirk or the science officer as lab rats…which he doubted Meira would approve of.

 _Why must humans be so sentimental and have_ (he shudders inwardly) _morals?_

"Will it work?" She asks.

"You doubt my capabilities?" Khan asks and he spares her an amused sideways glance.

"Not you, just your methods. I would have stripped the wiring out and completely redone the electrical before checking the other components."

"Says the girl who can't even fix the AC unit," Khan rolls his eyes and then freezes when the display lights up. "It's working." He breathes.

"Did you doubt your capabilities?" Meira taunts and Khan chooses to ignore her comment. She smiles secretly.

"Hello?" Khan hears Mr. Spock's voice coming through the speakers. "Captain? Is anyone there? This is Commander Spock from the USS Enterprise. Can anyone hear me?"

"Mr. Spock." Khan states simply.

Silence on the other end.

"Mr. Singh?" Spock asks and Khan sees Meira blink at his last name. He can see her putting the pieces together slowly. So, it would seem that he past has caught up with him once more. "Where are the others? Your ship disappeared from our scanners several days ago."

"Spock!" Kirk runs into the room and snatches the microphone from Khan's hands. "Oh my God, Spock! Get us out of here!"

"Drama queen," Meira nudges Khan with her elbow and he nods once in agreement.

 **…**

"So, what now?" Khan asks as he allows Kirk to make the appropriate arrangements. "Now that you know who I am and what it is I have done? I suppose you'll want your own dorm?"

"Oh, the dorm is mine, make no mistake about that. That war is not over—not by a long shot, pops." He frowns at that. He wasn't _that_ much older than she was. "But why would anything change? You're an Augment: so what? Who cares?"

"You don't mind that I've killed _thousands_ of people and would continue to do so to save my family?"

She looks at him for a long minute.

"You're not a monster, Khan." Her voice is quiet.

Soft.

Forgiving.

She continues: "Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault. You were trying to save your family from a lunatic. How could I fault you for doing something like that? You ended lives to protect your family; I've _ruined_ them just to find mine. I've been irritating you for weeks and you've yet to try to kill me. I think that's a step in the right direction, don't you?"

"I don't know." He looks at the ground at a loss for words. He was a monster, of that he was positive…but it was nice to know that nothing had really changed.

 **…**

"They're working through the electrical interference. Spock made some calculations. We'll have a small window to get out of here tomorrow, when the storm weakens enough for us to be beamed up." Kirk looks at them both expectantly.

"Sounds good," Meira says. "Though, I have to admit that I'll miss taking hot baths."

Kirk smirks, "Same here. So, I'll collect some snow samples in a few jars from the kitchen and try to get a soil sample. Anyone want to help?" He looks straight at Khan. "Perhaps someone with superhuman strength that can break through the ice and get to the ground..?."

"I think he's talking to you," Khan nudges Meira with his elbow and stands to leave.

"Khan!" Kirk wails. "It would only take you, like, two seconds! KHAAANN!"

"Fine! But stop whining! Have at least some dignity!" Khan stomps outside.

What they didn't know was that they weren't the only people on that planet…and the others were much closer than they could have ever suspected.

 **…**

Something was wrong. Khan could sense it the moment he walked back inside. The air tasted of blood and death.

"Meira?" He called.

No one answers.

Quickly, he pulls Kirk's phaser out of the back of his pants (the nitwit still hadn't noticed that Khan had it), and he moved stealthily through the hallways, checking each room in turn.

"Hey, Khan!" Kirk yelled from the entrance to the station. "Wait up! Where are the others at?"

Khan ignored him. The Augment carefully steps over broken bottles and then frowns at a lifeless form in one of the bedrooms. He enters slowly with his weapon raised and rips back the sheet. Relief fills him as gazes down and realizes that it was the science officer and not Meira who he was looking at. He had been killed in his bed; his throat cut. Heart pounding, Khan checks the next room and then the next one. He hears Kirk swear when he discovers the body of the science officer but he pays the blond no heed.

"Crap! Where's my phaser?!" Kirk shouts. Khan says nothing.

He checks the entire compound and then looks again just to be sure. She was gone. He runs outside. There were drag marks on the ground but the snow was quickly covering them back up. By now, they were probably miles away here. There would be no point in following the trail; in a matter of minutes it would run cold (no pun intended).

"Khan?" Kirk runs outside and looks at the Augment wordlessly. "What's going on?"

That was precisely what he wanted to know.


	23. Chapter 23

**WARNING:** **intense violence** **, mentions of torture (ish), nonconsensual drug use/experimentation, and swearing.**

 **Chapter 23**

Khan paces wildly around the room, his heart beat racing frantically through his chest. The Enterprise's crew was trying desperately to locate Meira, but the storms were interfering with their scanners, making the images soft and blurry. The occasional dark smudge on the otherwise white pictures could simply be holes or shadows—not a compound.

Angrily, Khan punches a wall and the hard metal dents under his hand. A small rivulet of blood flows between his fingers and drips onto the floor. It heals almost instantly.

Ten minutes: that's how long they had been gone.

Ten minutes, twenty seven seconds.

 _Exactly._

Those stupid samples hadn't been worth it: Meira was the only person on the ship he felt he could trust and now he was alone once more. She could die simply because the moronic captain desired to take a few measly samples.

He punches the wall again, harder this time.

Panting, he leans his head against the cool metal and eases his eyelids shut _. Where was she? What has happening to her? Was she alright?_

 _Would they find her in time? Or would she become another casualty in the war called_ life?

 **…**

It's cold.

Ice cold.

There's not an ounce of heat; not a shred of warmth. The frozen stone walls leaked moisture making me shiver harder, my temperature bordering on feverish. Someone croons and a hand touches my back but the sensation burns painfully against my skin. I yelp and try to move away, but the hands are on my shoulders, pushing me gently onto the ground. I curl into a ball and shiver, my vision blurring at the edges.

"Stay strong," The voice whispers as it fades away. "Don't die."

I don't even bother trying to argue.

I don't have the energy.

"They'll be back soon." A hand on my cheek. I cry out and try to move away but my limbs are made of lead. "Rest, Meira. Regain your strength. You're going to need it."

I try to speak but all that escapes is a feeble moan. My strength? Why would I need my strength? Who the hell are you and how do you know my name? Why am I? Where are the others? Where was Khan? Were they alright?

Dark spots form in my vision and I try to sit up hastily. I need to stay awake. I can't pass out. Need to stay alert…but I fall back down, my head snapping into the hard soil.

"Relax, old friend. Sleep. Sleep…"

Sleep.

I'm fading quickly, the pain in limbs disappearing with every inch that I allow myself to sink into unconsciousness.

"Everything is going to be okay." A hand strokes my hair and then something heavy and warm. A blanket? A jacket? I didn't care. It didn't matter. I breath in the dirt fabric and then vanish into the darkness.

 **…**

"Spock, conduct another scan of the planet. Look for any man-made structure. Scotty, I need you and Khan to do make some modifications to a shuttle to get it to withstand the electromagnet storm in the atmosphere. Uhura, monitor all communication frequencies. I need to know if anyone tries to make contact. Bones, stand by. The moment we find her, I need you and your time to give her a full medical evaluation…"

 _If she was still alive._

The unspoken words echo loudly in the room.

Khan nods to the captain and makes his way towards where the pods are stored. He felt like his limbs were made of rubber and his mind felt foggy, but his rage quickly pushed away his weaknesses. He would find Meira, he vowed.

And he would make her kidnappers pay.

Dearly.

 **…**

How much time has passed? A day? A week?

I stand on wobbly legs and just barely stop myself from collapsing to the ground. My stomach pitches and rolls, but I remain upright.

"Get up," I tell the other captive and she stirs. Her blue eyes look at me and my heart freezes in surprise. Oh, my god. How is this even possible?

"Cas?" I ask. _What was she doing here? She was supposed to be England going to school and having an normal, mundane life. We weren't ever supposed to meet again—she should think I was dead! What in the world?_

My world tilts and then I'm collapsing to the ground. _The drugs. They must not have worn off yet_. The back of my head bumps into the floor. I sink lower and lower despite my struggles to get back up. My legs refuse to cooperate. All I can do is kick feebly and attempt to use my arms to push me upwards…but head is so heavy…

…And I'm so…tired…

"You shouldn't have that." Cas says and then she's pulling me into a sitting position and propping me up against one of the cold walls. "It's better to take it slowly."

She had taught me how to hack my way into computers and ruin people's lives. She had befriended me when everyone else wanted me dead, and helped me steal food so that I could live. We had spent countless nights sharing the stars and laughing until we cried. I had told her my secrets and she had become a second sister me.

 _She was_ supposed _to be safe!_

 _In England._

 _Not here._

 _Not with me._

 _SHE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE! This is why I faked my death—to keep her and the others safe! She…she_

 _…Was pregnant?_

 _What?_

My mind balks.

"We need to get out of here." I rise back up to my feet and lean into the wall for support. The fever was returning. It wouldn't be long now until I was a shivering mess. "Come on. The door. We need…we need to open…open the…the…um…open…"

 _Open?_

 _What did we need to open?_

My legs buckle but she catches me before I fall. Already my vision blurs. My eyes are rolling back into my skull, the oppressive cold returning. Violent shivers rack my body and my lungs burn as the air seeps out, leaving me gasping desperately.

 _Air! I need air! SomeonehelpIcan'tbreath! Help!_

"They're coming back, Meira. Be quiet. Meira, be quiet!" She begs but the door swings open and the people walk in. Harsh, callused hands sink painfully into my shoulders as they force me upright, my arms uselessly draped over two broad shoulders.

"Ready to get ripped open?" A soft voice asks.

 _Open? Is that what I was supposed to open…? What opens?_

"My, my, my," the voice continues in a mockingly kind voice. "You're going to make us a fortune."

 _…Fortune?_

 **…**

"Spock? Any progress?" Kirk barks.

"Not yet, Captain. Though, I believe if we—"

"Fine. Just do it. We need to find her and we needed to find her days ago.

"Uhura? Has you been able to intercept any calls?"

"Negative, sir."

Kirk bites back a growl of frustration: "Scotty, give me some good news."

"The ship's modifications will be completed in a matter of hours, Captain." Khan's voice growls at him.

"Oi! I wanted to him, you bloody bastard!" Scotty complains loudly. "Why do you gotta take all the fun out it you—" Kirk ends the transmition. Well, at least they had that in their favor.

"Spock, try scanning the immediate area for heat signatures and see if that helps anything," Kirk suggests as he strolls off the bridge.

"Captain, may I inquire as to where you are going?" Spock asks, raising an eyebrow.

"To make a ready bag. When you finish, make one for yourself. I'm take you, Khan, and a few security officers with me as soon as the pod is finished, and give Khan a phaser—but set it stun."

"Yes, Captain." Spock nods and then he presses a few buttons on his panel. "Scanning now."

"Atta boy."

 **…**

I'm thrown back into the room, my knees hitting the floor hard.

"Are you alright?" Cas hobbles over to me. "Are you hurt?"

"I've had worse," I wheeze and I use her shoulder to help me stand. My leg was bleeding horribly, a few of my ribs were broken, and they'd taken a lot of blood before injecting me with yet more viruses.

"It's time to go." I gasp and I force myself not to double over with pain. "Hurry, while they're between shifts."

"How?" She asks ruefully. "They'll us before we even make it to the door."

"Better than being lab rats." I point out as I limp towards the door with intense pain shooting up my leg with every step. "Now, are you coming," I swallow back the bile that is trying desperately to come out. "Or am I going alone?"

"If we die," she forces one of my arms over her shoulders. "I'll kill you."

"Bring it on." I squeeze my arm through the slots in the door and slowly unlock it. "Ready?" I ask as we limp into the hallway.

"I was born ready."

And then we're joking awkwardly down the halls and into a storage unit. We pull on warm jackets and Cas quickly fills a bag with medical supplies, food, and a few blankets. I push a communicator into my pocket and ease into the hallway. We make it to the door and stumble out into the snow.

Blood runs down my leg with every step that we take but I don't dare slow down. If we get caught, we'll never escape again. They'll strap us down, rip us open, and then throw our remains to the clawed creatures.

Running.

Running will save us.

I break free of Cas's grip and run on my own. I don't want to slow her down. This way, if I'm too slow, she can still have a chance at life and escape the punishment that was meant for me. She would not take my beating. Not again.

I would never allow it.

 **…**

"It's done? _All_ the repairs?" Kirk criticizes.

"Do have _some_ faith, Captain." Scotty complains irritably. "I may like a drink ev'ry now and again but this one," Scotty gestures to Khan and then shakes his head sadly. "Wouldn't let me touch a drop—not even on me break! A damn _tyrant_ , he is."

Khan rolls his eyes in exasperation. "Are we leaving, _Captain_?" Khan's eyes bore intently into Kirk's skull and Kirk nods before the Augment could find reason to crush his skull in.

"Yeah. Get it in." Kirk orders and Khan and the others quickly move to their seats. "Think you can fly this thing, Khan or do you want me to pilot it?"

"Just hold on tight and _do_ try not vomit on the floor." That's the only warning they get before the pod explodes out of the Enterprise and screams towards the planet.

"Holy, shit, Khan! What the hell?" Kirk yells and his fingers dig into his arm rests. "Jesus, man! Slow down!"

"My apologize, Captain." Khan purrs without feeling an ounce of remorse. "Mr. Spock, do you believe you could detect heat signatures now that we are away from the planet's atmosphere?"

"Already scanning." Spock's clipped voice intones. "There appears to be several beings gathered to our west. Change our angle to thirty degrees and bring the ship down lower. Our speed must also drastically slow so as to not miss our mark. We are approximately five miles away."

"Will do." Khan says as he quickly follows the Vulcan's advice.

"The scanners show that the beings are humanoid. This may be the facility—"

"Understood." Khan interrupts Spock. He lowers the ship to the ground and slowly unclenches his whitened knuckles. Now, he could finally slaughter every last one of the people who dared to take what was his.

He doesn't even wait for others. He runs inside and begins dropping bodies, using nothing more than his bare hands. By the time the others arrive, only three people survive, and then there only one. Blood runs freely down Khan's powerful hands and soaks into his jacket. Pure rage burns beneath his steely gaze as he stalks towards his quivering prey with slow, catlike movements.

"I'm sorry," The scientist whimpers. "It was just a few experiments. For research…" He stumbles backwards and then his back connects with a corner of a wall, trapping him while Khan closes in, his fists opening and closing.

"You." Khan's voice hisses, his eyes flashing as his rage consumes him. "Experimented on her!?"

The man screams as Khan suddenly rushes in, wrapping his fingers around the human's soft throat. Angrily, Khan slams the back of his skull into the back of the wall and then punches his ribs, breaking every last one of them before throwing him clear against the other side of the room. There's a snap as the man's body crashes into a wall and single breath escapes, signaling his death.

"Christ," Kirk breathes as he takes in the carnage all around them.

"She isn't here," Khan reports as his rage ebbs away. He wanders to a window and cocks his head to the side as he contemplates. "But there are footprints in the snow. Two sets. One bloody. From the foot size, I speculate that they are both either female—one possibly pregnant and the other badly wounded—or adolescent males. She could still be alive."

"So…we should follow them?" Kirk still can't get over the level of violence in the room. Blood had covered the walls, the floor. _God, what the_ hell _was this guy,_ Kirk wondered. _How in the_ hell _had the Augments ever lost the Eugenics War? This was insane!_

"Captain," Spock looks worried—this can't be good. "I believe that you going into a state of shock. It would be advisable to take you back to the Enterprise and—"

"Relax, Spock. That's an order. Khan, lead the way."

 **So, was that enough chaos for you guys?**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. There were two figures in the cave. One was sobbing and hastily shaking the other who. Wasn't. Moving.

"Get up! Please get up!" The strange woman shrieks. "Come on, Meira! Don't die on me! Get up! You have to get up! Please!" She breaks down into tears.

Khan is in the chamber in seconds. The woman looks up at him and hastily picks up a large stick.

"Don't you dare touch her!" She shrieks angrily as she lifts the stick threateningly. It was admirably brave move, Khan knew, but an inconvenient one. There wasn't much he could do to her that wouldn't injure the baby that was sure to come soon. He settles for batting the stick away from her and dropping to his knees beside her as he lifts a gentle hand to Meira's cheek. She whimpers at the skin contact and tries to turn her face away from his cold, ice covered hand. Khan smiles sadly and quickly covers her with his jacket that was still warm from his body heat.

At least she was still responsive.

There was a chance of recovery.

But she was burning up from an intense fever. Her temperature was easily at 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe more. She shivers harder until it seemed like her entire body seemed to be shaking. Her breathing becomes more labored.

The woman shoves him and, not seeing him budge, proceeds to pummel him with fists. Though he feels no pain at her blows, Khan finds himself getting increasingly irritated.

"Calm yourself," He growls, turning his glare upon her and she freezes mid-punch. "Before I break both your arms."

"If you hurt her—"

"I plan do nothing of the sort. _Now. Move_." Part of him wants to physically throw her across the room, but he restrains himself but just barely.

Carefully, he examines Meira. She had lost a lot of blood—far too much for the average human and she was still bleeding out. A large red puddle had already formed around her and it continued to grow larger and larger, transforming into a sea of scarlet. Her normally olive colored face was pale white and she was shivering violently, whimpering with pain as she struggled to drawl in air with quick, ragged gasps.

Spock enters the cave followed quickly by Kirk and the security officers.

"Oh, hell," Kirk says when he sees the pregnant woman. "You aren't going into labor are you?"

"No, are you?" She glares at Kirk and Khan continues to examine Meira's wounds. He wanted to go back to the compound, revive all the scientists, and rip their throats out all over again. Only this time, he wouldn't be so merciful.

"Is it possible for the Enterprise to beam us up?" Khan demands.

"Negative. We will need to leave the same way we had arrived," Spock answers calmly.

That was not good. Meira was already unstable and fading fast. The pod was at least two miles away, and the journey there would do far more harm than good. He rips some bandages from his pack and hastily begins to wrap her injuries in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

Part of him screams for him to give her a transfusion of his own blood, but he didn't have the right materials. He curses himself inwardly and does the best he can to help stabilize her condition—which isn't much. By the time Kirk speaks, Khan is pretty much at a loss as to what to do next.

"I'll go. Spock, you come with me. We'll bring the pod over—come on!" Kirk runs outside and sinks knee deep into the snow but that doesn't dampen his enthusiasm.

While those two run off, Khan orders the security officers to build a fire. The moment it starts to flicker, Khan carefully, supports Meira against his chest and shifts them closer to the flames. He uses his body to block her from the icy wind coming in from the cave entrance and covers them both with the jacket, using their combined body heat to warm her.

"What did they do to her?" Khan asks the woman and the lady shrugs. He looks at Meira at in the firelight. She was so small. So _breakable._ He never should have allowed her to leave his sight.

"I don't know. They injected her with foreign pathogens and took a lot of blood and maybe an organ or two. I wasn't in the room with her when it happened. They had moved her somewhere else."

"What is your name?" Khan's eyes flicker to the woman.

"Cassie…Sorry. Cassandra Hobbs." She wraps her arms around her knees and drops her head to rest on her forearms. Her eyes drift shut.

"Cassie." He thinks about the name. "You're her friend? She calls you 'Cas'?"

The security officers vanish into the background and talk quietly amongst themselves.

"You know about me?" She yawns and blinks tiredly at him from the other side of the chamber.

"Only that you two were close." He curls closer to Meira and she whines weakly.

One of his long fingers strokes her cheek lightly and his heart thuds sadly in his chest. This never should have happened. Those Section 31 _mongrels_ should have taken him instead, not her.

"Close," she snorts. "She faked her death when she was fifteen and never bothered to tell me that she was alive. If I mattered to her, she would have let me know that she okay…not show up one day to be my new cellmate." She shakes her head and closes her eyes again. "It doesn't matter. We were just kids. Those friendships never last, anyway, right? You grow up and shed your past and move on…none of it mattered."

"You mattered more than you think," Khan murmurs before looking back at Meira. She snuggles tightly into her chest and sighs shakily. Slowly, he wraps a protective arm around her, careful not to hug her too tightly lest he cause her more damage.

"Will she die?" Cas asks in a small voice and Khan could see unshed tears burning into her eyes.

"No," he said as he tore his gaze away from Cas to look down at Meira. He wouldn't allow her die. He would make her fight and force her to live if need be. Those parasites would not win, not if he could help it. When they got back to the Enterprise, he would force the doctor to take so much of his blood, that he wouldn't be able see straight. They could use the precious liquid to speed up her recovery and stabilize her weakening condition.

They would not win.

They couldn't win.

 **Well, I'm tired now. Good night, fanfiction peoples.**


	25. Chapter 25

**WARNING: Some disturbing imagery.**

 **Chapter 25**

Khan doesn't even both to strap Meira onto the small cot in the pod. He hugs her tightly to his chest, mindful of her broken ribs. She whines softly as he places her head against his chest and wraps her up in his jacket to keep her warm. Her friend, Cas, watches him carefully but makes no move to attack him. Well, at least some progress was being made.

"Do you think you can pilot us out of here, Captain?" Khan asks as he wraps a protective arm around Meira.

"It won't be a problem. Everyone buckle up and hold onto something." Kirk winks and then they're rushing into the air.

 **…**

The medical team swarms them the moment they arrive on the Enterprise. One of the nurses carefully takes Meira from Khan, and he fights back the urge to rip the man's throat out as he settles the weak girl onto a gurney and whisks her away.

Numbly, Khan follows after them and he feels a small hand grab his arm for balance. He glances over. Cassandra, Meira's friend. He tolerates her touch and then sits outside the doors of the medbay.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" She asks him as she sits down on the wall opposite to him.

"She'll be fine," Khan's voice holds more conviction than he feels.

"She's gotten inured before, but not like this. Not this bad." She rests her head on her knees and Khan can see tears streaming down her face and splashing onto the unforgiving metal deck.

"She'll be fine," he repeats firmly.

"Khan," McCoy explodes from the doors and Khan is on his feet in an instant. "Get your ass in here. I need a blood transfusion instantly. Do you mind?"

"No."

The procedure only last a matter of minutes. McCoy quickly inserts a thin needle into Khan's forearm and studiously extracts the precious, scarlet liquid. Behind a patrician in the other side of the room, Khan could hear the woman fighting for her life…but she sounded weaker. No wonder the good doctor had asked Khan for help the way he had.

At least this time, Khan wasn't strapped down and screaming in rage as they forcefully stole his blood. He wasn't bucking and writhing wildly on the bed in a desperate attempt to escape and kill every single person he could. Every cell of his body had radiated out rage as he roared and struggled. The good doctor had barely even given him a passing glance as he took enough blood to make Khan pass out. For days he had strapped to that infernal bed as they bled him dry to save their precious captain.

"Bringing back memories?" McCoy asks wryly and Khan felt the doctor watching him warily for any signs of anger. He doesn't wait for a response. Quickly, he retrieves his needle and flies back to the patrician like an avenging angel.

"Nurse!" Khan hears the doctor bark. "Set up the transfusion. You, put pressure on that wound. Someone bring me a dermal regenerator and bone laser!"

One of the nurses notices Khan standing in the middle of the room.

"Sorry, sir. You can't stay in here. You'll be notified if there is any change. Please. You must leave now. You're in the way, sir. You have to leave. I'm sorry but you must leave so that we can do our jobs properly…please don't hurt me. Just leave. Please." Khan allows himself to be escorted out.

"Any change?" Cas asks him without raising her head.

"No. No change yet, but soon." He hoped.

 **…**

Despite his superior senses, he hadn't noticed it. He should have but it had failed to register. They were sitting, he and Cas, in the hallway when everything had shifted. Khan had been monitoring the medics' conversations as they worked on Meira when Cas begin to breath heavily, holding her swollen stomach. Khan thought nothing of it. Perhaps her unborn child had kicked too hard or maybe so heartburn. So, he shrugged it off.

Then her water broke.

The baby was coming.

And all available medics were working on Meira.

She whines and Khan looks at her helplessly. He was a warrior, not a midwife! But that didn't stop him from rushing to grab towels and the other materials that would be needed for the task.

"Just relax," He says in what he hopes to be a comforting tone.

"Have you done this before?" She asks.

"Yes." He says. "Once. On a cow farm." Both the mother and calf had died, but she need not know that.

 **…**

"It's a girl," Khan wraps the mewling infant in a towel after cleaning it up and hands it to the new mother. "Seems to be healthy." _It was healthy, right?_

"Alright, well," Doctor McCoy walks outside into the hallway and his eyes go wide when he spots a no longer pregnant Cas. "Oh, hell!"

Then he's kneeling beside the both the woman and taking quick scans on his tricorder.

"So?" Cas asks and the doctor sighs with relief.

"All's well, but I'm keeping the both of you overnight just to be sure." And then a nurse whisks away both mother and child.

"Meira?" Khan asks calmly.

"Fine. She'll sleep for a while, but I think she'll make it. The pathogens are still in her system, but I've hooked her up with an IV and have already begun to synthesize some meds to help her fight everything off. So, you staying in the medbay or going back to your quarters?"

"Medbay." Khan squares his shoulders challenging.

"I figured. Grab a cot and stay out of the way. If I see you harassing anyone, I'll have Spock throw in the brig so fast your head will spin for a week."

"Understood."

The cot is uncomfortable and scratch, and for the life of him, he can't figure out why he was still there at all.

Meira was interesting, yes, but at the end of the day, she just another pesky parasite he graced with labeling as a 'human'. She was an acquaintance—an annoying acquaintance. So, why was he still there, holding her small hand in his and listening carefully for her breaths? The medical team was more than capable to take care of her, what was his role?

But he didn't leave. She was a human, but she was _his_ human.

 **…**

 _The man walks down the line, shooting random people. Bodies fall the ground and smack—hard—into the concrete._

 _BANG!_

 _Another._

 _BANG!_

 _And another._

 _"And what do we have here?" The gun presses into the side of my head in a mocking caress._

 _"Just another failed experiment." One of the men says casually as his eyes skim through the ranks._

 _"Should I kill it?" The man holding the gun to my head smiles at me coldly and my heartbeat slows down. Icy terror runs up my spine and my breaths come out in gasps._

 _"No." The other man looks at his watch and sighs. "But I think the chamber would do nicely. What do you think, girlie? Hm?"_

 _I say nothing. My body is paralyzed with horror. No one who has ever been locked in the chamber ever comes out alive. They slam the door shut and then a gas fills the room. Those unfortunate to be inside found themselves buried in a hole mere minutes later._

 _But it didn't matter._

 _They didn't care._

 _Because they were dead._

 _Dead._

 _They grab my arms and drag me and about twenty others from the room. We scream and writhe but there's no escaping. Not this time. The door locks behind and before the gas is introduced, people are screaming with fear and clawing at the walls just like so many before us. And I watch as everyone begins to fall._

 **…**

She sits up in the bed suddenly and begins to scream. Khan's arms crash around her and hug her tightly to his chest in a bear hug. Tears fall from her eyes like twin rivers determined to soak through his shirt. She trembles with fear and tries to fight to get away before excepting that she wasn't going anywhere and leaning into his touch.

"It's alright," his voice soothes without his permission and his deadly fingers smooth comforting circles into her back. McCoy runs into the room and pauses when he sees them. Too stunned to move, the doctor's caring brown eyes go wide before he snaps to his senses.

"Shhh," Khan holds her closer and drops his nose to the curve where her neck meets her shoulder.

"They're dead." She whines over and over again. "They're dead; they're dead." She trembles harder and Khan frowns. Who was dead? She hadn't seen him kill those men at the Section 31 facility…so who was she talking about?

McCoy jumps in and quickly injects her with a hypospray and she goes limp against his chest. Khan looks up at the doctor with piercing blue eyes and then helps the other man settle her back onto the bed. With tender fingers, Khan wipes the moisture from her cheeks as he gazes down at her slumbering form.

"What the hell was that all about?" McCoy demands quietly and a baby screams from the other side of the room.

"I don't know." Khan admits reluctantly.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

He's realized by now that it wasn't his touch or words that comforted Meira when the dreams came. It was his heartbeat. She would curl close to his chest and gradually relax as his heart pounded out a strong and steady rhythm next to her ear. She kept waking up screaming about people dying, and his heartbeat, a tangible sign of life, had lulled her back to sleep.

What had happened to her? She had had nightmares before in their room. He could always hear her heartbeat quicken, hear her kick out in her sleep, and the small the fear that permeated the air…but this was different. Never before had she screamed. She had felt the terror, yes, but she was silent. Perhaps it was the pathogens, or maybe it was the drugs. The injuries. The blood loss.

He puts his gift on her chest and she blinks awake slowly as it goes straight for her face.

"What…?" Her head jerks when its tongue meets her nose. "Why'm I getting attacked by a baby badger?" She asks him.

"It's not a badger," He smirks as he takes his seat beside her bed. "It's a dog—a puppy."

She nods and rolls over to face Khan, her arm wrapping around the wriggling ball of excited fur. "I'm keeping it." She yawns. "I'm going to train it to eat you so I can claim your half of the room."

Her eyes drift shut but open again the small pup wiggles free and once more attacks her face with its small, pink tongue. She laughs and brings her arms up to cover her face to protect herself from the puppy's ridiculously cute and relentless attacks of affection.

"It would seem that it is more intent on attacking _you_ at the moment," Khan says and she squeaks with laughter then the small tongue finds her ear.

Amusement bubbles in Khan's chest at the sight of the One hundred ten pound woman trying to cringe away from the four pound puppy. She sticks her tongue out at Khan and then catches the pup in her hands, lifting it carefully over her. It yips and wags its tail before clawing at the air to get back at her again.

"What are you going name it?" Khan asks.

"Boy or girl?"

"Male."

"Amichai." The answer is quick, immediate.

"Amichai?" An odd name. "What does it mean?"

"It's Hebrew. It means 'my people live'." She shrugs, "I like the name."

"As do I." Khan's deep voice rumbles quietly.

That night, McCoy allows Meira to go back to her and Khan's shared quarters. She sets the pup on the ground and frowns as it runs wildly around the room like a squirrel on cocaine. It zip quickly sniff at Khan's dirty clothes that are in an neat pile on the floor and then runs to examine the door, the beds, the bathroom, and anywhere else it can think of.

"Would it be morally wrong to shoot it with a stun gun?" Meira asks for a while and Khan shrugs.

"It would depend on whether or not you wished it to live. Even a low setting would kill it." Khan says and Meira frowns.

"How did you even get it on board?" She asks, tilting her head.

"We had docked at a planet, giving us a few days of shore leave. I've found that no one truly cares what I buy and bring onboard so long as it's not deadly. The doctor examined it for foreign illnesses that could be transmitted to crew, and gave it a clean bill of health." He shrugs. "Kirk had no reason to say no. And I was showing interest in another living being making me seem less…dangerous."

"Sounds logical." She yawns and Khan orders the lights to turn off before lying down in his bed and staring up at the roof. He listens as her breathing evens out. When the nightmares come, he nudges her awake. Her arms wrap quickly around his neck and he hugs her back lightly.

"When I lived in India," he says softly. "Things were nice. My people and I helped to improve the conditions there. The previous rulers had allowed the people to starve and die from sickness." She rests her head against his chest. "We set up bakeries and breadlines. We gave more money to the farmers so that they could hire more people to tend to the crops and cattle, bringing up unemployment. We gave blankets and medicine to those who needed them and even brought in dozens of impoverished people into the palace as domestic workers—maids, cooks, or whatever else we might need. For a while, we had allowed ourselves to believe that we had finally found a sanctuary…a place away from all the chaos, and pain, and death that had soiled our lives before. For the first time in years, we could breathe easily."

"What happened?" She yawns dozily and Khan smiled sadly at the memory as he glanced down at her. There was no use in not telling her. She was so tired now, she wouldn't even remember the conversation had taken place. "A war. Many people from other areas did not particularly care for my kind. Several were ruthless warlords, driving their citizens into poverty. They had lumped us all together. In their minds, we were monsters. Abominations," he practically spit the word. Meira tenses in his arms and he takes a deep, calming breath.

"Rather than fighting," He continues, "I and several others chose to leave. We could have easily defeated the opposing armies, but it wouldn't be worth the bloodshed. Millions would have died needless deaths…and it was no longer our home anyway. Our sanctuary was no longer pure. So, we sought out a new place among the stars. I am still fighting for that dream."

"Hm," She hums.

"What are your nightmares about?" He asks and she shakes her head. The puppy crawls onto his leg and yawns widely. He tries to flick it off by moving his leg but it merely hops back on, digging its miniature claws through the fabric of his pants.

"Meira," his voice rumbles softly, pulling her back awake.

"Yeah?"

"You'll need to talk about it eventually."

"You don't," she accuses and he can almost feel her drifting off again.

"You wouldn't like what you heard."

"Neither would you." She says back and he sighs.

"I was created in a lab." He starts. "But I grew up in hell."

Originally, there had been nearly a thousand Augments in his facility, but their numbers had dropped drastically. Those who couldn't learn fast enough, weren't strong enough, savage enough were killed off, their organs donated to serve the humans. It was impossible to make attachments lest your friend be used as leverage against you. They had conducted vivisections of the children and bombarded their immune systems with viruses to keep them week.

They were regularly starved and beaten, especially the strongest ones…who, the humans claimed, needed to remember their place. They weren't humans—they weren't even considered animals. They were less than that. They were dirt. No. That's wrong. Dirt was nobler than they.

But everything, eventually, comes to an end. The human's cruelty bloomed into complacency and the children they tormented had grown and become stronger. In the end, they did what they were taught to do: show no mercy and take no prisoners. When every last scientist had been killed, Khan declared himself the ruler and no one dared to object. He had led them to freedom. By that time, they had stood three hundred strong. One hundred died from diseases. Another hundred from wars. Others were assassinated or had vanished all together.

He told Meira all of this but she didn't seem bothered. For a while, she was merely quiet…when she had finally spoken he was positive that he had misheard her, but that wasn't possible. Not with his enhanced senses. Not with superior hearing…but those words. They couldn't be true—they weren't!

"We didn't kill our scientists," she had said.

 _We didn't kill our scientists._

Had she also been experimented on? Beaten? Tortured? Did they rip her mind apart and try to break her down psychologically until she was nothing more than an obedient robot? Did they kill her friends? Did they ever make her bury her loved ones after forcing her to watch their murder? Did they cut her with their knives and inject her with their infections?

Were they more alike than he had thought?

 _Our scientists._

It couldn't be true. Could it? No. It couldn't. She tired—half awake. Not even that. She's already asleep. It's not possible she had kept up with the conversation, much less had the ability to feel empathy. Her sister going missing…it was nothing. She had angered the Star Fleet brass, and they retaliated. Simple as that.

And yet…that _wasn't_ right. It didn't _feel_ right. In his heart of hearts, he knew that he was wrong, even if he didn't want to believe it. Like him, she had been broken. Like him, she had watched her family suffer. She had rescued her loved ones only to watch them die or be kidnapped. Like him, she was fighting to get them back.

 _We didn't kill our scientists_ , she had said…and her implication was clear: they _didn't_ kill their scientists; their scientists had _killed them_.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

 _It wasn't the pain that made him want to curl into a ball and disappear into the floor. No, it was the humiliation. The embarrassment. Marcus had smirked as he ordered men into Khan's—No,_ John's _—cell for punishment. The old man had watched as they beat Khan into submission, his finger on the kill switch the entire time. The moment Khan would even dare to defend himself, ten of his people would die at the flip of that damned switch._

 _And so he had allowed it._

 _He had_ allowed _the first man to punch him in the face, whipping his head painfully to the side. He had_ allowed _the second to kick him to the stomach and then shove him to the floor. He had_ allowed _them to break his ribs and a few vertebrae in his spine. A broken nose. A busted lip. Slight concussion._

 _They had laughed cruelly, their voices grating painfully in his ears like nails on a chalkboard, and though liquid rage had replaced the blood in his veins at his treatment, he was powerless to stop it. If he fought back, everyone he cared about would be destroyed, and it would be his fault. Because he had misbehaved. Because he had stepped out of line and refused to acknowledge the rules._

 _So, he did nothing to save himself._

 _"Having fun, Jonny boy?" Marcus taunted him and smiled cruelly before waltzing into the glass cell and kneeling down to look at Khan. His weathered hand forces Khan's head to the side so that he can better examine the damage. Chuckling, he continues to speak in a low and menacingly kind voice, "I said I wanted torpedoes—not missiles". He smiled but the humor didn't reach his eyes._

 _"Question me again," Marcus says softly. Calmly. "And I'll kill you and wake someone else instead. Or maybe...I could just tamper with the life-supports of one. How does sound? Is there anyone in those damned tubes you'd rather not be here? If so, save yourself the trouble and just say so. It'd be less pain for you, in the end." Khan's eyes go wide at the implication and Marcus chuckles hollowly in amusement. "So, do you Understand?"_

 _"Yes," Khan had ground out with a stead voice even though the pain in his chest made him want to scream. "I Understand."_

 _"Good. Now get your lazy ass back to work." Marcus kicks him roughly in the rib cage before marching proudly away._

Lazy? _Khan blinked in surprise._ He _was lazy? Him? He had gone days without sleep. Without water. Food. All that just to finish Marcus's damned projects only to have the sadistic man add another one._ This week it was torpedoes. What was next? A Star Ship?

 _Slowly, he eases himself into a sitting position and examines his wounds mentally. They were bad but there was nothing life threatening. In a few hours, he would be healed, leaving behind nothing. Not even scars._

 _"You alright?" A man pauses in his doorway and looks at him. Worry, not cruelty, lined his features._

 _"Yes," Khan gasps as he gets to his feet. "Perfectly fine." He grunts as his broken bones flair up painfully. To the Augment's dismay, the stranger notices._

 _"Let me help you," The man takes Khan's arm over his shoulders and helps into the hallway. Despite his resolve not to give in to the pain, Khan founds himself limping slightly. The man—who he later learned was named "David Stone," Meira's father—handed him an unopened water bottle and a container of pain medication._

 _"Thank you." Khan says politely as he downed two pills but saying the words burned his tongue._

 _"Get back to work!" Marcus marches into the room. "Or do you need more incentive?" The old man snarls._

 _Khan turns away and begins to struggle to get back to the lab. His leg goes out and he crashes to the ground. Marcus rolls his eyes in disgust as the Augment struggles to rise. Khan had miscalculated slightly about his wounds. Blood trickles from his nose and lip and his vision whirls around wildly from his concussion. He shouldn't have risen back up from the ground, much less walked._

 _"This man needs medical attention." The man from earlier—David—interjects and Khan winces inwardly._

 _Marcus will punish Khan for this—for allowing someone to see his weakness. He was a witness to the admiral's cruelty. One word from David Stone and Marcus's squeaky clean reputation will be tarnished. How many of his crew would perish because of that imbecile's false compassion? Didn't he see the danger he was putting Khan in? Khan never should have let the man help him. He should have snapped him neck when he had the chance, consequences be damned._

 _"This is a secure location," Marcus growls as he moves forward to glare at the man in an attempt to intimidate him, but Stone refuses to cower away. "I don't believe you have access to this room." Marcus snaps. "Guards! Drag this man to the brig!"_

 _Red shirts rush forward but Stone speaks before they can apprehend him._

 _"I have orders from up high." He pushes a PADD forward. "I'm to work in the medbay. I believe a medical officer would take precedence in this situation, yes? Now_ ,you _." He looks at Khan. "You're with me; let's go. Good day,_ Admiral _." Stone puts as much venom into Marcus's title as he can manage before putting Khan's arm across his shoulder and grabbing the Augment carefully around the waist._

 _"You're going to get yourself killed." Khan breathes. "In the end, none of this will matter."_

 _"Maybe not, but that doesn't take your wounds away, now does it?" Stone shoots back lightheartedly and Khan smirks wryly._

 _"No. It does not." He conceded as they walk into the medbay and Stone helps him onto a bed. Sighing, Khan leans back and allows himself to be examined. Stone whistles under his breath._

 _"Oi vey!" The man exclaims. "They really give you a beating. What'd you do? Flirt with the daughter?" Khan smirks and shakes his head. "So, what's your name, then?"_

 _"John Harrison." Khan doesn't even pause to consider telling Stone otherwise. "Who sent you here?" He wondered._ Surely no one was more powerful than Marcus!

 _"That, my freakishly tall friend," David smiles as he walks into the medbay, "Is classified."_

 _"Is it now?" Khan shuts his eyes tiredly as Stone wipes the blood gently from his face and bare chest._

 _Stone hums in confirmation, his green eyes laughing as he picked up his Tripod and scanned Khan once more._

 _"I recommend some bedrest," He said after wrapping Khan's ribs and fixing his spine with a small laser. "With your rate of healing, you should be out by tomorrow."_

 _And he was right. He was healed just long enough for the guards to beat him senseless once more and then submit him to a vivisection. It was because he had done anything wrong. This time, it was a warning to others. Nothing they did would help him. Stone could bandage his wounds until the doctor was red in the face, but nothing would save Khan. Marcus would do what he wanted when he wanted. No one was going to get in his way. Nothing was going to stop him._

 _And yet, Stone did. Eventually. Unlike countless others, he had succeeded in halting Marcus's plan. He had smuggled his precious lab rat out to safety at the expense of his own life—just as Khan had predicted. In the end, Marcus was the one who had lost. Check and mate._

 **…**

Something wet touches his nose and he jerks awake. That infernal puppy yipped happily and then lunged for his face once more. Khan caught it easily in his dangerous hands and glowered at the creature, but it had no shame for waking him. If anything, it got happier. Scowling, he sets the pup on the floor and sits up. His pale white hand rubs the side of his head wearily.

"Your creature is being annoying." Khan complains.

"It has a name," Meira says back from the bathroom. The water was running. Was it safe for her to be in there alone so soon after getting out of the medbay…? No. Forget it. That was one place he'd leave her alone. If she fell or something, he'd call Uhura.

"Fine. Your _Amichai_ is _obnoxious_ ," He amended.

"But it's cute." She walks out fully clothed with the water from her her hair dripping down her the back of her shirt.

"That is arguable." He snorts. He was a war loving tyrant who destroyed cities for fun. He did _not_ think puppies were cute!

"So, ready for work?" She throws her pillow at his head and he blinks as it bounces off him and hits the ground.

Work? He had forgotten he had that still.

"How much stronger is a Vulcan's hearing to an Augment's, do you think?" Meira asked and Khan raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" He inquired.

"Because, I want to annoy Spock. You game?" She smirks and her green eyes glow with amusement.

 _Like father like daughte_ r, Khan mused.

"Definitely."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Operation Annoy The Vulcan was a go.

Meira looks at Khan as Spock enters the lab.

"So, is it true Augments are smarter than Vulcans?" Meira asked Khan and he bit down a smirk. "What do you think Spock?"

"I believe that one's intelligence cannot adequately be tested and therefore there would not be a reasonable test to which to test your hypothesis. Also, the intelligence of an individual would vary from person to person in a species. Therefore, one individual may by more intelligent than one Vulcan, but the opposite could just as easily be true."

Meira sighed quietly.

Spock plugged in his microscope and peered down at a bacteria culture. Khan walked past the Vulcan and unplugged his device as Khan reached for a sample of his own. Spock's eyebrow twitched slightly before he plugged the microscope back in.

Meira waited five minutes and then stretched her legs out, kicking Spock in the shin.

"Oops. Sorry'," she said.

She did not sound sorry. She soon unplugged Spock's microscope. Slightly irritated Spock stared at them both in turn.

"I do not understand the reason for your antics. Would you care to explain?"

"Explain what?" Meira asked innocently.

Spock inhaled slowly and then exhaled. He blinked. He turned to Khan.

"Khan, perhaps you could—"

"I do not know what you are referring to? What do you mean by 'antics', Commander?" Khan asked flatly.

Spock left the room.

"I believe our mission was a success," Khan stated simply and they high-fives.

"As do I."

 **…**

Meira was lying on her bunk with her arms crossed behind her head and Amichai sitting lightly on her chest. The dog yipped lightly at Khan before yawning and curling in Meira's side.

"So…" Meira stated. Khan waited patiently for her to continue. "What is the likelihood that Spock will shoot us out of an airlock later for irritating him?"

"I place my odds at approximately 98%, but you should be fine." Khan lay down as well. If he stretched his foot out, he could almost kick her ankle.

"Well, as long as I'm okay, and, hey, I'd finally have the room to myself. I say this calls for a celebration." A smile crawls onto her face.

"My slow and painful death in the depth of space, requires celebration?" Khan raised himself up onto his elbow to peer at her. Her eyes were closed; the back of her head was cradled in her palms. Her chest rose and fell slowly as she breathed.

"Of course," her eyelids flickered but remained shut. She stretched out more and groaned slightly as she relaxed. She'd be asleep any minute now; he just knew it. "We're all dust in the wind anyway, right?" A large, silent yawn.

"Well, aren't you the optimist?" Khan joked sarcastically in a low purr. His boot reached out and tapped her sock covered toes. Her eyebrows furrowed and she pulled her leg back onto her mattress instead of letting it hand off her bunk.

"Stop," she murmured. "I'm sleeping." She rolled onto her side facing away from him and he smiled crookedly.

"I know." He stood and covered her with his blanket "Goodnight."

He lay back down.

 **…**

Alarms rang wildly. Meira jerked up in her bed and fell to the ground. Nimbly, Khan hopped over her fallen body, whipped around, and grabbed her by the arm. He yanked her quickly to her feet and then they were racing towards the bridge. Meira stumbled after him, her feet still clumsy from sleep. Growling irritably, Khan scooped her up into her arms and carried her the rest of the way, the scene blurring as he raced wildly through the corridors.

"Take us up! Sulu! UP!" Khan heard Kirk shout before the Enterprise jolted upwards, the highway tilting high and high until Khan began to skid backwards. Meira yelped and wrapped her arms tightly around Khan's neck as his arm swung out and clasped ahold of an entryway. His free arm held her closer protectively as tables, crew members, and other debri flew past them.

"Khan!" Meira screamed over the sound of the shrieking engines. Khan ducked his head closer to her to better hear her as he entered the entry way and leaned against the roof—now wall—of the corridor. "What's happening?"

"We're under attack!" He yelled back but his words were snatched away as the hull shuddered from the outside assault.

"Raise shields, Sulu! Do it! DO IT!" Khan heard Kirk shout.

"I can't, sir! All systems are failing! We don't have enough power—all systems are going into auxillary mode, sir—basic life support!"

"Can we warp?" Kirk shouted back.

"Negative, sir!" Sulu replied.

Khan shifted Meira to his back and quickly began to scale upwards. He blinked as their gravity regulator switched off and they began to float aimlessly. Meira held onto his neck and kicked her legs in an effort to direct them towards the bridge; they spun out of control.

"Stop!" Khan ordered sharply. "Hold still! Wrap your legs around my waist and hold on!"

He then kicked off the walls, flipping head over heels until they floated onto the bridge. Khan grabbed onto the Captain's chair and gazed coolly down at Kirk as his legs began to rise, lifting his body above the young captain. Meira's hair fanned out behind Khan's head and Kirk smirked crookedly at the pair.

"What's the situation, _Captain_?" Khan glowered, his blue eyes stabbing into Kirk's.

"We're being attacked by an unmarked Romulan ship with EMP capabilities. Our shields took the brunt of their attack, but we're out of power. We can't outrun them and we're severely outgunned. Got any ideas?" Kirk asked, his aqua eyes wide and searching.

"I could hack the crap out of it." Meira said instantly and Khan's eyebrows shot up with surprise. Kirk, too, looked at her with disbelief. "That's why I'm here…right? To…hack things?"

Meira frowned and Kirk swallowed quickly, his mind running in circles.

"Um…sure. I mean—yes. That's—that's why you're here." Kirk turned to the pilot. "Sulu, do we have enough power for her to—"

"We don't have a lot, but we may have just enough juice for her plan to be successful, sir."

"Spock?" Kirk glances at his first officer.

"I concur, but haste is of the utmost importance, Captain."

"Alright," Kirk nodded. "Go for it."

"Get me to a monitor." Meira directed Khan.

He pushed off Kirk's chair and they glided smoothly across the room. Khan grabbed onto a chair with one hand and grabbed Meira's shoulder with the other. Easily, he maneuvered her into the seat as the enemy's weapons began to prepare itself for another assault. Meira punched on her seatbelt and Khan settled himself into the chair beside her. He watched as she created complex algorithms—her fingers a fury of motion.

"Meira?" Panic licked at Kirk's voice as the weapon's straightened, taking careful aim.

"Hang on." Her voice was calm. Emotionless.

Flat.

"Meira?!" Kirk shouted, louder this time. The weapon had locked onto them. It lit up slowly as it recharged. It would be operational within seconds. "Any time now would be great!"

"Shut up!" Meira snapped. "I'm working!"

"If you could work faster that would be—"

" _Captain_." Khan's voice was quiet but firm and commanding. "Hold. Your. Tongue!"

"But—"

"SILENCE!" Khan roared before turning to glare at the young captain just as Meira sent the code. The Enterprise watched in awe and their attacker's weapons flopped uselessly down to the side. Small explosions sounded on board, the smoke vanishing into space just as quickly as it had been birthed. It's interior lights flicked off and slowly the ship fell back into a black hole. Within minutes, the hull was completely ripped apart.

"Did it," Meira smiled sheepishly at Khan and he sighed—internally—with relief.

Kirk released a shuddering breath: "Okay, then." He put a hand to his forehead and his eyes closed for a moment before he hit the comm button on his chair. "Mr. Scott! How long will it take for you to fix my ship?"

"Eh…I'll get back to you on that one, Captain, but it'll take a while."

Kirk sighed and nodded. "Can you at least fix the gravity problem?"

"Already working on it, sir. Let me get the generators back on line…just give me thirty minutes."

"Alright." Kirk sighed and looked around at the bridge. "Guess we're hanging out here for a while, then."

"Speak for yourself," Meira scoffed. She released her belt and floated towards the windshield of the ship, she kicked off the thick glass and made it to the command chair, knocking heads with Kirk. They both winced at the sudden shock of pain. Khan shook his head at the woman before releasing his own belt and pushing off of his chair. He grabbed her arm and she clambered back onto his back. Quickly, he bounced with into the hallway and eventually into their dorm.

"Now what?" Khan asked as she loosened her grip and flipped over him, her body upside down, her eyes level with his forehead.

"Simple," she kicked off the roof and splayed her fingers towards his chest. "I reclaim my territory!"

Lightly, her fingers pushed against his torso and propelled him out of the room and into the corridor just as he grabs her dog, Amichai, gingerly in his powerful hands. She caught herself on the doorway and closed the door with her foot, closing him outside.

"The room is mine once more!"

He smirks at her challenge.

"No for long," he vowed.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Ventilation vents were such… _flimsy things._ Khan smirked to himself as he carefully lifted the grate off of the wall. Scotty had yet to fix the problem of the lack of gravity, much to Kirk's chagrin.

Meira's pup, Amichai, floated above his head. It whined in frustration when it realized its legs were essentially useless to help it propel itself from one location to another. Slowly, it began to flip out of control, head over heels. Khan watched as it bounced lightly from one wall to the next. It was irritated but appeared unharmed.

Quickly, Khan pulled the object out of his pocket and chucked it—hard—into the shoot. His powerful feet pushed off of the wall and he propelled away from the vent and caught Amichai easily. A quiet explosion sounded followed instantly by a surprised shriek and uncontrollable bouts of coughing.

"KHAN—!" Meira managed to scream before pepper raced down her throat and up into her nose. She gagged and fell into another coughing fit. Frantic for air, she kicked off of the ceiling and rushed towards the door. Only, there was a problem.

The door wasn't opening.

 **…**

"I will accept your surrender at any time," Khan taunted from the other side of the door.

The corners of his lips curled upwards cruelly as he imagined the woman inside, fighting for air. Oh, how he had missed ruining people's lives—and what was even better: she had asked him for this. She had challenged him for ownership of their shared quarters; clearly a mission that had been lost before it had even been conceived. Well, he wouldn't dare think of…denying her of her just desserts. After all, he wasn't a monster.

"Not—" uncontrollable coughing, "going—" more coughing. Perhaps he had added too much pepper to his contraption. "To happen!" She managed to spit out the words before she fell into another fit.

"It's a pity, you know," Khan said coyly and he yawned loudly to feign boredom. Within him, his blood turned to fire and his adrenaline kicked into overtime.

He continued to speak: "You see, you have something I want, and I, in turn, have something you need. The room is already mine—that was a predetermined truth you had, unfortunately, seemed to miss. What I want, is your unconditional surrender. Once I have that, the door will be opened and you can have fresh air—and no more coughing. So, I believe a deal is in order?"

"Never!"

He smiled triumphantly and looked down at the pup in his hands. It licked his nose and he scowled.

"Also," his fingers threaded through its fingers, "I have a hostage," he said offhandedly. Of course, he'd never hurt the animal. Despite his reputation, he really didn't approve of casualties especially in a nonviolent conflict.

"Hurt the dog," coughing, "And you're bedding burns!"

"You're bluffing," Khan growled.

"Am I?" She gasped and the burning in her throat intensified. Her nose ached and a bout of sneezing ensued, quickly followed by gasping coughs. Her eyes turned red and puffy, tears running down her face as she fought for air. "Try me," she wheezed.

Silently, she floated over towards the replicator and got to work. Within minutes, she finished. Carefully, she pulled the air mask over her face and fitted the goggles over her eyes. Air, sweet, sweet fresh air! It soothed her burning lungs and caressed her aching throat.

"Go ahead," she heard Khan purr from the other side of the door. "You'll only be shooting yourself in the foot. It would be so… _tragic"_ his voice dropped dramatically in pitch, _"_ if the room were to fill with smoke as well as pepper. Give in now, and perhaps I'll consider giving you privileges to use the replicator."

Meira thought for a minute. _Yes, that would be a problem, that much was true…but even smoke could serve a purpose: it could blind one's adversary. Oh, Khan, your arrogance will be your downfall._

Now, it was her turn to smile.

 **…**

It was surprisingly easy to set things on fire inside a Star Fleet vessel. In the pamplets, they always stressed that everything was flammable and perfectly safe. Turns out, they had lied: his bedding caught like dry kindling soaked in gasoline. The fire quickly roared to life while she moved her belongings carefully to the bathroom.

"Meira?" She heard Khan call out. "Meira?"

She said nothing. The smoke was not thick enough yet to be billowing out into the hallway. She grabbed her pillow, yanked the air ventilation grate off of the wall, and shoved her pillow into the space. There, all sealed up.

"Meira?" He called again and a touch of worry tinged his voice. She smacked—hard—on the wall where she thought head was.

"Do you accept my terms?" He growled and she smiled at the wall.

Nope, soon you'll be accepting mine, she thought. He continued to speak, pausing every now and again to wait for her response. She held her tongue. The worry in his voice came back, but still she stayed silent. The burning mattress began to wane; she tossed his pillow onto the flames. When that began to smolder, she added his blanket.

The room was black with smoke and ash.

"Are you listening to me? Meira?"

She allowed the worry to gnaw at him as she moved to the back of the room and hid in the shadows. It didn't take long for him to react the way she wanted to. He abandoned the pup in the hallway, allowing it to drift towards the bridge as he rushed into the room to make sure she was safe. His eyes had gone wide with shock when he was attacked by the smoke. A sudden projectile, slammed into him, throwing him to Meira's bed. Waves of pepper, soot, and smoke rushed into his opened mouth and he coughed violently as his spine hit the mattress of Meira's bed. Small hands blenched at the sheets on either side of his head and Khan squinted his eyes to see Meira floating above him, a triumphant smile on her face.

"I accept your unconditional surrender, Mr. Singh, and I do believe that the 'replicator privileges' are mine to grant or deny as I see fit."

Khan scowled. Scotty chose that moment to flip the gravity back on and Meira fell on top of Khan. Her body forced the air out of his lungs and he gasped in air only to sputter like an idiot as the fruits of his device turned on him.

A sign was posted in the hallway the very next morning: _"It is not advisable to create fires, pepper grenades, or mock war games resulting in decontamination of the ship. Please refrain from such activities in the future. Any infraction of these rules shall be dealt with severely. Also, the use of animals as hostages is also morally frowned upon."_


End file.
